IL Dust Storm: 6 Dead, 30+ Taken To Hospital After Multiple Crashes

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, IL — Six people died and over 30 were taken to the hospital after upwards of 70 vehicles were involved in crashes amid a dust storm in Central Illinois, according to police.

The incident occurred shortly before 11 a.m. Monday at milepost 76 on Interstate 55, north of Farmersville in Montgomery County, police said, adding the road was closed in both directions from mileposts 63-80 and likely wouldn't reopen until Tuesday.

Excessive winds blew dirt from nearby farms across the highway, creating conditions with zero visibility and resulting in a northbound crash and numerous southbound collisions within a two-mile stretch of the interstate, which collectively involved about 30 commercial vehicles and 40-60 passenger cars, according to police. Two semitrailers also caught fire amid the mayhem, police said.

Injuries ranged from life-threatening to minor and affected victims aged 2-80 years old, according to police, who said all the people who died were involved in the crash in the northbound lanes.

Authorities described the incident as creating conditions comparable to a whiteout snow event and advised drivers who encounter a dust storm to put on their hazard lights and leave the road.

Evan Anderson, 25, who was returning home to St. Louis from Chicago, said a semi turned before striking his vehicle, sparing him from even more damage.

"You couldn't even see," Anderson said. "People try to slow down and other people didn't, and I just got plowed into. There was just so many cars and semi trucks with so much momentum behind them."

Wind gusts Monday night in Farmersville were forecast to reach as high as 34 mph, according to the National Weather Service. State police said the winds were expected to subside by 8 p.m.

"It's very flat, very few trees," meteorologist Chuck Schaffer said. "It's been very dry across this area really for the last three weeks. The farmers are out there tilling their fields and planting. The top layer of soil is quite loose."

Trying to reach the victims quickly was challenging, according to Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency Director Kevin Schott.

"We had multiple vehicles involved, some were on fire," he said at a press briefing Monday afternoon streamed by state police on Facebook.

Over 30 agencies assisted in the response, according to state police, who said reunification points had been established for those affected by the incident.

Additional information about the fatalities is forthcoming from the Montgomery County coroner's office, officials said. Authorities anticipate it will take many days to process the scene.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.