Deadly crash on I-80/94 leaves gaping hole in wall along expressway in Lansing, Illinois
One person is dead, and another is injured after a crash on Interstate 80/94 near the Illinois-Indiana state line early Friday. The crash left a gaping hole in the concrete wall along the shoulder of the expressway.
Illinois State Police responded to a crash involving a semi-truck and a sedan in the westbound lanes of I-80/94 around 3:20 a.m.
Police said two people were taken to the hospital, and one was later pronounced dead.
A Lansing resident who was headed to work at the time heard the crash right outside of her house.
"I was shocked to see the wall down. You know, I'm like, wow. It was bad," she said.
That resident, who doesn't want her identity known, shared surveillance video of the aftermath of the crash.
The video shows two people walking on the other side of the gaping hole as smoke billows from the wreckage.
"When I walked out the door this morning, getting in my car for work, I seen the two guys and they was just waving. So, I figured let me call 911, but by that time I heard sirens," the woman said.
CBS News Chicago's Kris Habermehl said it appeared a white sedan was either stopped or had slowed down in one of the right lanes of I-80/94, and a semi-truck failed to stop, colliding with the sedan.
A Winter Weather Advisory was in effect during the Friday morning rush, with snow and rain causing hazardous road conditions.
"Visibility possibly played a role. Wet pavement played a role," Habermehl said.
Habermehl said the crash serves as a reminder for the winter that road conditions can go from relatively dry to dangerously slick instantly.
"This is the time of year where we have to be aware that road conditions can change without a lot of notice, without a lot of warning," he said.
All westbound lanes of I-80/94 were closed after the crash, but have since reopened.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
