Truck wrecked in crash under Edens Expressway overpass

SKOKIE, Ill. (CBS) -- A box truck was left wrecked and wedged underneath an overpass on the Edens Expressway Wednesday afternoon.

Illinois State Police were called at 4 p.m. to the Church Street underpass on the inbound side of the Edens, on the boundary of Skokie and Morton Grove.

A flatbed tow truck had been towing a box truck on one of its flatbed tow trucks, and the box truck turned out to be too tall for the 14-foot 2-inch clearance at the Church Street underpass.

The box truck hit the overpass above, and pieces of concrete fell from the overpass, state police said.

The box truck was left lying wrecked in the underpass. The cab and chassis of the box truck were sent into the ditch along the side of the roadway.

The cab of the tow truck appeared to remain upright in the overpass.

A total of four vehicles were involved in the crash, but no one was injured, state police said.

Traffic on the inbound Edens was initially only getting by on the left shoulder with all traffic lanes blocked. Two traffic lanes later reopened.

Just in time for the afternoon rush, traffic was backed up all the way to the Skokie Road exit.

The Church Street overpass was also closed.

Meanwhile, there was another accident involving a taxi and at least one other vehicle at the same place on the outbound side of the expressway. The outbound Edens was thus also backed up beyond Touhy Avenue until the crash was cleared.

It was not clear whether the crash was caused by rubbernecking drivers looking at the wrecked truck.

In:
• Edens Expressway
• Morton Grove
• Skokie