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Westbound I-290 Shut for Hours After Fatal Two-Car Crash Near Austin Boulevard

A person died early Sunday after a two-car collision on the Eisenhower Expressway's westbound lanes near the Austin Boulevard exit, Illinois State Police said. All westbound lanes were closed until 7:15 a.m.

Westbound I-290 Shut for Hours After Fatal Two-Car Crash Near Austin Boulevard

A person was killed early Sunday in a two-car crash on the Eisenhower Expressway on the city's West Side, according to Illinois State Police.

The collision occurred around 2:30 a.m. in the westbound lanes of Interstate 290 near the Austin Boulevard exit. One person was taken to a nearby hospital, where they were pronounced dead, state police said.

Authorities have not identified the person who died, disclosed which hospital received them, or said whether the victim was a driver or a passenger. State police also released no information about either vehicle involved or the circumstances that led to the crash. No other injuries were reported.

All westbound lanes of I-290 were closed following the crash and did not reopen until 7:15 a.m., roughly five hours later, according to state police. The closure disrupted the early-morning commute on a key corridor linking Chicago's West Side with the western suburbs.

The crash remains under investigation by Illinois State Police. Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact investigators.

The Eisenhower Expressway, which carries I-290 traffic through the Austin, Garfield Park and Near West Side neighborhoods, is among the region's busiest east-west routes and has seen repeated serious crashes in recent years. Sunday's fatality adds to the toll on a corridor where advocates have long called for stronger safety measures, including improved lighting, clearer signage and better enforcement near exit ramps.

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