Dramatic footage captures the chaotic aftermath of a massive pileup on a snow-covered Illinois highway, involving dozens of vehicles including several semi-trucks. The collision took place on Interstate 70 eastbound in Cumberland County around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, as reported by the Illinois State Police. According to authorities, the crash resulted in one person sustaining injuries and a total of 38 vehicles being damaged. A bystander present at the scene recorded a video revealing the extent of the havoc, with multiple semi-trucks strewn across both sides of the highway, obstructing multiple lanes of traffic. Additionally, an ambulance can be seen among the wreckage.
The witness behind the camera captured the magnitude of the incident, remarking, “Both the interstates are blocked. It’s unbelievable,” as the camera pans around the scene. Following the collision, both directions of Interstate 70 remained shut down for over 12 hours, finally reopening in the early hours of Monday around 3 a.m., according to law enforcement officials.
The aftermath of this multi-vehicle highway crash occurred against the backdrop of treacherous road conditions in the region following a winter storm that swept through the Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic over the weekend. The National Weather Service had issued a winter storm warning for southeastern Illinois extending through Monday afternoon, cautioning drivers in the area to exercise vigilance due to ongoing slick roads.
In the wake of the storm, numerous areas, including Illinois, experienced power outages, with over 300,000 reported outages at the beginning of Monday. However, by 8:30 p.m. CT, that number had significantly decreased to fewer than 30,000 outages in Illinois, as per the latest updates from USA TODAY’s tracker.
The harrowing incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by inclement weather conditions on roadways, urging motorists to exercise caution and adapt their driving behaviors to ensure safety for themselves and others.
