Illinois dust storm leaves six dead after causing a 72-car crash on I-55 – live

Drivers who experienced the dust storm, and some who were involved in the crash, spoke about their experiences on the day of the mass crash.

“You couldn’t even see,” Evan Anderson, 25, told The Associated Press. “People tried to slow down and other people didn’t, and they hit me. There were so many cars and semi-trucks with so much momentum behind them.”

“The only thing you could hear after we got hit was crash after crash behind us,” said Tom Thomas, 43.

Kevin Schott, director of the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency, said efforts to rescue the victims were hampered by thick dust at the scene, as well as multiple vehicle fires.

These conditions made it difficult to reach “victims quickly,” he said.

“This is a difficult scene, something that is very difficult to train for, something that we haven’t really experienced locally,” he said.

“We had to search all the vehicles, whether they were involved in the accident or just pulled over, to check for any injuries.”

Six people died in the accident.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker issued a statement after the I-55 pile-up saying he is “closely monitoring the horrific situation on the Macoupin and Sangamon county line.”

“My team is in constant communication with the Illinois State Police, Department of Transportation, and Emergency Management Agency to ensure the safety of motorists as they navigate dangerous situations,” he tweeted.

“On the ground, our first aid and emergency management teams are working diligently to clear the way, provide medical care to those in need, and partner with local officials to provide support to all affected by this tragic accident.”

Farm dust storm “is not uncommon” during this time of year, state police said.

“This has happened before in various parts of the state of Illinois, where unfortunately due to excessive high winds, once farmers have turned the field, the topsoil or soil on top of it loosens up,” Maj. Illinois State Police. Ryan Starrick.

“It is extremely dry and due to the excessive winds in the area, it will blow over certain roads.”

A “blowing dust advisory” was issued for some counties in the area and remained in effect for Sangamon, Christian and Shelby counties, NBC Chicago reported.

Kevin Schott, director of emergency services in Montgomery County, said Monday that it was a “very difficult scene” and “very difficult to train for.”

“We had to search all the vehicles, whether they were involved in the accident or just stopped, to check for any injuries,” he said, adding that people were “visibly, understandably upset”.

Authorities set up staging areas away from the crash site to help travelers reunite with friends and family.

“We had multiple vehicles involved, some were on fire,” Montgomery County EMA Director Kevin Schotthe said during a news conference.

“So we had vehicle fires to extinguish, we had to search every vehicle, whether they were involved in the accident or just stopped to check for injuries, to get them out of there quickly and to the hospital so we can provide professional care. . for them.”

Evan Anderson, 25, who was returning home to St. Louis from Chicago, said a semi-truck spun before hitting his vehicle, saving him from further damage. “You couldn’t even see it,” Anderson said.

“People tried to slow down and other people didn’t, and they hit me. There were so many cars and semi-trucks with so much momentum behind them.”

Dairon Socarras Quintero, 32, who was driving to St. Louis to make deliveries for his Elk Grove Village-based custom framing company, said after his truck collided with the vehicle in front of him, he got out and moved to to the side of the road to ensure his safety, then returned after the chain reaction of crashes ended behind him.

Socarras Quintero said the dust continued to blow fiercely as he checked other motorists and emergency personnel arrived. He lifted his backpack, which was covered in dust even though it was inside the cab of a closed truck.

Winds at the time were gusting to between 35 mph (56 kph) and 45 mph (74 kph), the National Weather Service said.