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I-55 closed in Illinois after black-out conditions
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LITCHFIELD, Ill. — Illinois State Police say that I-55 is closed for 28 miles because of blackout conditions that started at around 11 a.m. on the highway. Wind gusts blew dirt from nearby farm fields across the road and reduced visibility, causing many crashes. The thick black smoke from vehicles damaged in the collisions let to more issues.
I-55 is shut down between Litchfield and Divernon, south of Springfield, Illinois. The Divernon City Hall being used as reunification center for families of people involved in the crash.
The National Weather Service says that driving is not recommended on I-55 north of St. Louis because of blowing dust. The 40mph gusts should continue through 8 p.m. Monday.
Illinois State Police Maj. Ryan Starrick says that about 37 people ranging in age from 2 years old to 80 have been taken to hospitals to be treated for injuries. They are being taken to hospitals in Springfield and Litchfield.
Six people have died in the crashes. Police said one of the victim is 88-year-old Shirley Harper of Franklin, Wisconsin. The Madison County Coroner’s Office is working to identify the rest of the victims.
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Investigators said there were crashes on northbound and southbound I-55 that occurred around the same time from milepost 76 to milepost 78. Around 72 vehicles were involved in the crash. Two semi tractor trailers caught on fire.
Troopers say that this has happened before in the state of Illinois. High winds can blow loose, dry dirt, that has been recently turned over by farmers preparing their fields for the spring planting season.
Police are asking people to avoid this stretch of highway. Interstate 55 is currently shut down in both directions from milepost 63 to milepost 80. It may reopen late tonight or Tuesday.
Nathan Cormier is a truck driver who is stuck on the highway. His videos and photos of the wreckage are going viral on social media. He tells FOX 2 that there appears to be many injuries.
“I have never seen a dust storm so bad that caused so much chaos and closed 20+ miles of highway. You could hear and feel cars exploding,” writes witness James Lewallen on Twitter.
Wind gusts have been 41mph at Lambert Airport and 44mph at Spirit Airport. Wind gusts at the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport near Springfield have been up to 43 mph today.
Meteorologist Chris Higgins reports that a “Blowing Dust Warning” was issued by the National weather Service at Lincoln Monday afternoon. He says that this is the first one of these warnings ever issues by the Springfield Office. These warnings normally pop-up in the central and southern plains during the dry season when strong winds kick up. They are very rare in Illinois.
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JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. – Two people are behind bars after a man reportedly attacked a Jefferson County deputy with a screwdriver during an attempted arrest over the weekend.
Prosecutors have charged Nicholas Davis, 47, and Amanda Davis, 45, of Dittmer, Missouri, with felonies in the investigation.
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The alleged attack followed a traffic stop of a driver in the 9500 block of Jones Creek Road on July 7, though the driver was not Nicholas or Amanda.
According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, Nicholas reportedly came out of his nearby home, yelled at a deputy and started approaching him while holding a screwdriver. The deputy initially ordered Nicholas to back away, then used pepper spray.
Per court documents, the deputy attempted to arrest Nicholas, who then struck him in the chest with the screwdriver. Amanda reportedly approached the deputy and pulled him away from Nicholas before both ran inside their home.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says the situation prompted an hours-long standoff involving negotiators, a SWAT team and a K-9 deputy. The situation led to Nicholas refusing warnings and being bitten by a K-9.
Nicholas and Amanda are both jailed in the Jefferson County Jail without bond. Nicholas is charged with first-degree assault on a special victim and armed criminal action. Amanda is charged with resisting/interfering with arrest.
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ST. LOUIS — The new St. Louis schools superintendent will be officially sworn into office today. Dr. Keisha Scarlett took over the job in July after the retirement of Dr. Kelvin Adams. She was assistant superintendent in the Seattle Public School District. The installation ceremony is at 6:15 p.m. before the regular school board meeting.
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ST. LOUIS — A gasoline tanker truck crashed into a Metro transit center near Riverview and Hall Streets early Tuesday morning and knocked over a power pole. The pole is leaning on other power lines. Police have the area blocked off here because there is a downed power line. Ameren and Metro crews are also on the scene.
The incident happened around 12:30 a.m. It’s still unclear exactly what caused the crash, but we do that there was a second vehicle somehow involved. The airbags on that second vehicle did deploy.
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Police at the scene have not been able to give us a lot of details. Metro officials tell FOX 2 that the transit center here is operating this morning for passengers and buses. Access to certain areas will be limited here as clean up unfolds.
A Metro spokesperson says half of the station isn’t being used right now because of safety issues. It isn’t impacting overall bus operations, everything is just happening on the other side of transit center.
The extent of the damage to the actual transit center is still unclear, but I’m told it does not appear to be extreme. A Metro spokesperson tells me there were no injuries to any metro workers or passengers. The tanker driver also was not injured.
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