By Toptrendreporttv
May 1, 2023
A dust storm on Monday caused a series of accidents that killed at least six people along a major highway in Central Illinois. The crashes led to the closure of Interstate 55 in Sangamon and Montgomery counties as newly plowed fields' dust took over the highway. According to Major Ryan Starrick of the Illinois State Police, the wrecks involved at least 40 to 60 passenger cars and 30 commercial vehicles, including two semi-trucks that caught fire, and more than 30 people were hospitalized with injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening. The ages of those injured in the wrecks ranged from two to 80 years old. The interstate in southern Sangamon and northern Montgomery counties would remain closed as officials investigate and clear vehicles.
The cause of the accident was the excessive winds blowing dirt from farm fields across the highway, leading to zero visibility.
The National Weather Service in Lincoln, Illinois, issued a "blowing dust warning" at 1:25 p.m. CT, with gusting winds between 35 and 45 mph. Photos from the wrecks show a thick yellow haze in the air hanging over the highway, with vehicles on fire and smoke mixing with the haze as first responders survey the damage. Kevin Schott, the director of Montgomery County's Emergency Management Agency, said first responders had a difficult time responding to the scene due to the thick dust.
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