Illinois Dust Storm: 7th Death Reported In I-55 Crashes By ISP

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, IL — A seventh death was reported on Tuesday as Illinois State Police investigators are still working to identify one of victims killed in a pile-up involving 72 vehicles on I-55 in the midst of a dust storm on Monday that caused a “massive crash” that also sent 37 people to local hospitals in Central Illinois, police officials said.

The seventh death was reported after six people died on Monday, with victims ranging in age from 2 years of age to 88. Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said at a news conference that officials did not expect the death toll to increase before the latest fatality was reported on Tuesday evening.

In an update released Tuesday evening, state police said a seventh death had been discovered.

"Initially, six individuals were found deceased at the crash scene," police said in a news release. "However, the severity of the crash masked the remains and what was previously believed to be the remains of one individual was two.

Police officials confirmed that an 88-year-old Franklin woman, Shirley Harper, has been identified as one of the six people who were killed. The coroner has not yet released the names of three more people who were killed in an incident that Kelly called a "terrible, terrible tragedy."

Kelly said Tuesday morning that officials were still working to confirm the identities of two of the people who were killed, including passengers in a blue Chrysler 300 and a Hyundai that were involved in the crashes, Kelly said. Kelly said that both of the victims were not identifiable but declined to offer more details on crashes that included multiple vehicle fires and explosions.

The expressway remained closed overnight following the crashes, which police said took place just before 11 a.m. Transportation officials said all lanes of I-55 had reopened in both directions as of about 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

At a news conference on Tuesday, state police officials said that they were called to the scene just north of Farmersville, where troopers encountered the dust storm that made dealing with the scene more difficult.

“Certainly, dust storms happen,” Kelly said Tuesday. “But it is not something that happens every day in this part of Illinois or in any part of Illinois. So, this is a very unusual set of circumstances.

“It’s simply a terrible, terrible tragedy. It was a terrible day in this part of the state for the families that were affected by this, and we will certainly continue to keep them at the center of our hearts. Our love goes out to them.”

Kelly said Tuesday that state police officials never considered shutting down I-55 amid Monday's windy conditions, in which gusts reached 54 mph in Central Illinois. Kelly said investigators are looking into the timeline of when certain weather warnings were issued, but that considering the process that goes into shutting a major thoroughfare down, closing the road was never an option.

Kelly said the warnings of dust storms came after the crashes took place Monday morning.

Officials said the stretch of I-55 where the crashes took place is surrounded by dirt farm fields, some of which had just been plowed. Kelly said the fields were depositing significant dust into I-55 at the time of the multiple crashes, causing “effectively zero visibility” and “complete blackout conditions,” Kelly said.

Kelly said it is too early to know if any drivers were driving too fast for the windy conditions, which continued into Tuesday as high winds were still expected in Central Illinois. On Tuesday afternoon, state officials announced that both north and southbound lanes of I-55 between mile markers 63 and 82 were being closed out of an abundance of caution due to high winds and low visibility.

Illinois State Police said that as of 3:30 p.m., there had been no crashes reported in the area.

In a statement issued on Monday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said that he was closely monitoring the “horrific situation” at the site of the crashes. He said that his office was in close contact with the Illinois State Police, IDOT and Illinois Emergency Management Agency to ensure the safety of motorists as they navigate dangerous conditions.

The governor said that first responders worked tirelessly to clear the roads, provide medical care to those in need and collaborate with local officials to provide support to everyone affected by the tragic accident.

The National Weather Service on Monday characterized weather conditions as a “localized dust storm” that involved winds between 35 and 45 mph. At just before 4 p.m., weather officials said winds reached speeds of 54 mph in Springfield on Monday afternoon.

According to the National Weather Service, the most recent dust storm in Illinois occurred in 2017 when wind gusts of 40-50 mph caused visibility near zero in open areas, requiring the closure of I-72 from Jacksonville to Springfield, and I-55 from McLean to Bloomington.

Two people were killed in accidents caused by the dust, according to weather officials. Prior to that storm, the last dust storm in Illinois took place in 1990, when give people were injured after much of northern and east central Illinois was impacted by winds up to 60 mph.

I-57 was closed between Arcola and Mattoon due to blowing dust. Prior to 1990, one dust storm was reported in Illinois in 1983.

Kelly said Tuesday that investigators continue to look into if the crashes could have been avoidable, but said that any number of things could have contributed. He said that state police are working to determine if criminal charges are warranted in connection with the farming that was taking place at the time of the crashes.

Kelly said a lack of rain in the region may have contributed to the amount of dust that was blowing in the area, but said officials are continuing to look into possible causes.

“We’re going to try to connect as many dots as possible to see if there is anything we can learn from that,” Kelly said in the news conference. “But we’re not going to jump to any conclusions.”