Local
Semi-Truck Crash on I-80/94 Near State Line Kills One, Injures Another, Leaves Hole in Expressway Wall
A predawn collision between a semi-truck and a sedan in Lansing left one person dead and another hospitalized, tore a gaping hole in the concrete wall along the westbound shoulder, and shut all westbound lanes during a winter weather advisory.
LANSING, Ill. â One person was killed and another was injured early Friday when a semi-truck struck a sedan on westbound Interstate 80/94 near the Illinois-Indiana state line, tearing a gaping hole in the concrete wall along the expressway shoulder and forcing the closure of all westbound lanes during the morning rush.
Illinois State Police said troopers responded to the crash around 3:20 a.m. Two people were taken to a hospital, where one was later pronounced dead. Authorities have not publicly identified the victims or said which vehicle each was in.
A Lansing resident who was getting ready for work heard the collision outside her home and later saw the damage firsthand. "I was shocked to see the wall down. You know, I'm like, wow. It was bad," she said, asking that her name not be used.
She shared surveillance footage of the aftermath showing two people walking on the far side of the breach as smoke rose from the wreckage. "When I walked out the door this morning, getting in my car for work, I seen the two guys and they was just waving. So, I figured let me call 911, but by that time I heard sirens," she said.
A traffic reporter for a local television station said the white sedan appeared to have been stopped or slowing in one of the right-hand lanes when the semi-truck failed to stop and struck it. A Winter Weather Advisory was in effect during the Friday morning commute, with a mix of snow and rain leaving the pavement slick.
"Visibility possibly played a role. Wet pavement played a role," the reporter said, adding that the crash is a reminder that road conditions can shift from relatively dry to dangerously slick with little warning. "This is the time of year where we have to be aware that road conditions can change without a lot of notice, without a lot of warning."
All westbound lanes were closed after the crash but have since reopened. State police said the cause remains under investigation.
The stretch of I-80/94 through Lansing carries heavy truck traffic between Chicago's south suburbs and northwest Indiana, and the concrete barrier along the shoulder is a familiar sight to daily commuters. Friday's crash left a visible breach in that wall, a stark marker of how quickly a routine morning drive can turn fatal when weather and speed converge.
Residents with information about the crash are urged to contact Illinois State Police.