Police on Tuesday announced that a stretch of Interstate 55 in south central Illinois where six people were killed in a 72-vehicle pile-up one day earlier has been closed once again, this time as a precaution due to high winds and visibility issues.
According to a tweet from the Illinois State Police, no new crashes have been reported, but a 19-mile stretch of highway is being closed "out of an abundance of caution."
Authorities believe they have identified at least four of those killed in the Monday crash, which left a total of six people dead. The crash also injured more than 30 others as a sudden dust storm brought visibility to near zero on the highly trafficked roadway Monday morning, leading to a complete shut down for several hours.
Authorities have publicly named one of the six victims and tentatively identified three others, though those names have not yet been released.
"We believe we are communicating with family members and we are using variety of techniques and investigative capabilities to be able to confirm that these are in fact their family members that are the victims," Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said during a press conference Tuesday, just hours after the interstate had reopened.
According to police, the one victim identified was Shirley Harper, 88, of Franklin, Wisconsin.
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Two people, however, remain unidentified.
"We have two individuals who, as of yet, remain unidentified, and we're needing information from the public or potentially from family members or from witnesses or anybody who may know anything about the identities of these two individuals," Kelly said. "We want to make sure their family, the people that are out there, that their loved ones are concerned about their whereabouts, that we're able to provide some closure and proper identification of who these two victims are."
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Police could not release much on the victims, but did say one was believed to have been found in a blue Chrysler 300 and another was in a Hyundai Kia, though the color was not known.
Anyone who might have helpful information is asked to call (618) 346-3653.
"If anybody might have information that could help us shed some light on who these potential unidentified victims are - the occupant of a blue Chrysler 300 and the occupant of a Hyundai, who may have been in this area at this time yesterday - please call that number, give us that information and that will be helpful to us in trying to be able to identify who these individuals are," Kelly said.
Kelly noted the situation was an "unusual circumstance."
"Certainly dust storms happen, but it is not something that happens every day here in this part of Illinois or in any part of Illinois," he said. "So this is very serious, unusual circumstances. I know meteorologists and the National Weather Service have certainly put out their observations and their conclusions about what led to these circumstances and it's simply a terrible, terrible tragedy. It was a terrible day here in this part of the state and for the families that were affected by this and we'll certainly continue to keep them at the center of our hearts as we ... our love goes out to them, but as we do the job that we need to do here to identify the remains of these last two individuals."
A total of 37 people were also injured in the crash and transported to area hospitals, the ISP said. Injuries range from minor to life-threatening, and ages span from 2 to 80 years old.
According to officials, 72 vehicles were involved in the pile-up, which took place Monday morning on two mile stretch of I-55. The number of vehicles involved, however, is likely higher given that some involved were able drive away from the scene.
The large crash occurred around 11 a.m. Monday near milepost 76 in Montgomery County. According to Illinois State Police, it initially happened in the northbound lanes of the highly trafficked interstate, but crashes then followed in the southbound lanes.
At least two semi-trucks caught fire during the crash.
Images and video from the scene show dozens of cars and semi-trucks piled up across the highway, with thick clouds of dust covering the road.
Divernon's mayor said that while dust storms aren't unheard of in the area, the situation has never escalated to the level seen Monday.
"Two or three weeks ago, we had a dust storm on Route 104 and it caused some accidents," Divernon Mayor Jim Copelin told NBC 5 Tuesday. "But nothing of this magnitude. This is beyond unreal."
"This is a very difficult scene, difficult to train for, not something we experience locally," stated Montgomery County EMA Director Kevin Schott.
Overnight, I-55 between Divernon and Farmersville in Illinois remained closed as cleanup efforts to remove debris and dozens of vehicles remained underway. However, police at 6 a.m. Tuesday said that the highway's northbound and southbound lanes near milepost 76 had reopened.
Illinois State Police on Monday said the cause of the crash was "excessive winds blowing dirt from farm fields across the highway leading to zero visibility."
According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, the dust in the air could be caused by tilling, which is common during this time of year.
State police also cited that potential.
"This has happened before in various parts of the state of the Illinois, where unfortunately due to excessive high winds, that once the farmers have turned the field, the topsoil or the dirt that’s on top there gets loose," Illinois State Police Major Ryan Starrick said. "It’s extremely dry, and due to the excessive winds of the area, will blow across certain roadways."
EXPLAINER: What Causes a Dust Storm And How Often Do They Occur?
Kelly said Tuesday that an investigation into the crash remained ongoing and it was not immediately clear if any citations would be issued.
