6 Dead, 30 Injured in Large Dust Storm; Causes Deadly 72-Vehicle Pile-Up in south central Illinois

A large dust storm caused a massive pile-up of at least 72 cars and semi-trucks on Interstate 55 in south central Illinois, resulting in six fatalities and over 30 injuries. One victim has been identified so far.

Shirley Harper, 88, of Franklin, Wisconsin, has been identified as one of the victims killed, as reported by the Illinois State Police. According to an update released on Tuesday, the ISP has reported that the Montgomery County Coroner’s office is actively working to identify the remaining five victims who lost their lives in the crash and inform their respective families.

According to the ISP, 37 individuals were injured in the accident and were taken to nearby hospitals for medical attention. According to reports, injuries resulting from the incident vary in severity from minor to life-threatening. The age range of those affected is reported to be between two and 80 years old.

The closure of I-55 between Divernon and Farmersville in downstate Illinois continued overnight as crews worked to clear debris and numerous vehicles from the area.

According to police, the northbound and southbound lanes near milepost 76 of the highway have reopened as of 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

A pile-up involving 72 vehicles occurred on Monday morning on a two mile stretch of I-55 between Divernon and Farmersville in downstate Illinois, according to officials.

According to Divernon Mayor Jim Copelin, there was a dust storm on Route 104 a few weeks ago that resulted in some accidents. He shared this information with NBC 5 on Tuesday. The individual stated that they had not experienced anything of this magnitude before. The situation is difficult to believe.