WI Woman Killed As Dozens Crash In Dust Storm On Illinois Interstate

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, IL — A woman from Wisconsin was among the six killed Monday when over 70 vehicles crashed along a Central Illinois interstate in a dust storm, according to police.

Illinois State Police identified the 88-year-old Franklin woman who died as Shirley Harper. Around 37 more people, all between the ages of 2 80, were brought to hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening, police said. It happened north of Farmersville on Interstate 55 near milepost 76, according to police.

Police said winds blew dirt from nearby farms across the road around 11 a.m., creating zero visibility conditions that resulted in crashes along both sides of a two-mile stretch of the highway. Around 30 commercial vehicles and over 40 passenger cars were involved, police said.

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

All six deaths were from crashes in the northbound lanes, police said. The Montgomery County Coroner's Office was working to identify the other five killed, police said.

Authorities had compared the conditions to a whiteout snow event and advised drivers who encounter such dust storms to leave the road and put on hazard lights.

Both lanes of the highway re-opened Tuesday around 6 a.m. after the blowing dust and massive crashes, police said on Twitter.

This story is developing. Refresh for updates.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.