MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Ill. —Wind-whipped dust created “whiteout” conditions for drivers on I-55 in southern Illinois Monday, and it also created an unknown for first responders arriving on the scene.
Lt. Col. Chris Owens with the Illinois State Police described what the dozens of state and local law enforcement personnel encountered after learning there was a “massive crash.”
“The first thing that would have been seen is the dust storm and not being able to see what was on the other side of it and having no knowledge of the extent of the incident we were coming into,” explained Owens.
A dust storm, fueled by dry conditions and nearby farm fields, led to numerous crashes involving at least 72 vehicles on I-55 near the town of Divernon Monday morning. Six people died, 37 others injured and the incident forced the interstate to close for 19 hours.
Witnesses described a sudden burst of dirt completely erasing visibility — “It was like a white out, only it was a brown out,” said Evan Anderson, 25, who was returning home to St. Louis from Chicago.
Lt. Col. Owens explained the troopers first goal upon arriving was to get to the injured, get them emergency medical care, then shut down the roads to prevent additional crashes.
“What you found was very brave state troopers and other law enforcement personnel and emergency personnel arriving on a scene where they couldn't see and taking immediate action to safeguard further injuries and save people,” said Owens.
He mentioned those efforts included troopers performing several extractions to help people get out of their vehicles.
Vans from a nearby state police training academy and school buses were used to safely get people off the road and to reunification sites.