Weather May Be To Blame For 2 Multi-Vehicle Pileups On Dan Ryan At 47th Street
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Slippery conditions and poor visibility during the winter storm Sunday may have contributed to two separate multi-vehicle pileups on the Dan Ryan Expressway near 47th Street.
The first incident happened in the southbound express lanes at 9:53 a.m., and four vehicles were involved, Illinois State Police said.
The driver of one vehicle lost control and ended up in the left and partially on the left shoulder, a second driver tried to stop to avoid the first, but failed to do so and ended up hitting the first vehicle head-on.
A third driver also tried to stop, but also failed and ended up rear-ending the second vehicle. A fourth driver did the same and ended up rear-ending the third vehicle.
The drivers of the second and third cars were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. An Illinois Department of Transportation maintenance driver who was out of a vehicle assisting with lane closures had to jump out of the way when one of the vehicles spun out.
The express lanes were closed for about 35 minutes near the scene after the accident.
At 10:43 a.m., there was another accident in about the same place, this one involving seven vehicles.
Two vehicles were headed south in the Dan Ryan express lanes north of 47th Street in the left lane. One of the drivers lost control due to the weather, spun out, and came to a stop in the left lane facing westbound.
The second driver tried to stop, but ended up rear-ending the first car. A third-driver rear-ended the second car, and a fourth-driver hit the passenger's of the third car. A fifth driver rear-ended the second car, and a sixth driver was rear-ended by a seventh unknown car while trying to slow down to avoid the pileup.
The driver of the third car self-transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.
Around 10:45 a.m., the express lanes were closed again for an investigation. They reopened at 11:21 a.m.