All inbound lanes on the Edens Expressway (I-94) at the Touhy exit were shut down for hours Tuesday morning and traffic was snarled due to a fatal rollover crash overnight involving a semi truck and another vehicle.
"This is a major traffic alert, and a full closure of the Edens," NBC 5 traffic reporter Kye Martin warned drivers.
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WATCH HEREThe crash took place at 3:50 a.m. in the inbound lanes just north of Touhy Avenue, Illinois State Police said, after truck-tractor semi-trailer overturned and caught fire "for unknown reasons."
One person was transported to a nearby hospital with injuries, ISP said. A second person involved in the crash sustained life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead, ISP added.
Photos and video from the scene show major backups on the inbound side at the Touhy exit, with multiple emergency vehicles blocking all southbound lanes.
Under the overpass at Touhy, a burnt semi could be seen on its side, with debris scattered around.
The other vehicle involved was in a ditch, Martin reported.
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As of 5:30 a.m., traffic was backed up to Dempster, and drivers were directed to exit at Touhy West and then get back on the highway at the entrance south of the overpass. Martin added that drivers can avoid the backup by exiting at Dempster.
As of 6:50 a.m., all inbound lanes at Touhy remained shut down, with closures expected to last for "another hour or two," ISP said.
"That's the entire morning commute," Martin said.
Just before 11 a.m., the lanes reopened, Martin said.
The crash comes as major construction on Kennedy Expressway into and out of Chicago continues, with inbound express lanes closed through the end of 2025.
No further details were provided. This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.
