1 Dead, 1 Injured After Wrong-Way Driver Crashes Into Semi on I-80 in Joliet
One person died and another was hospitalized after a wrong-way driver collided with a semi-truck on westbound I-80 near Briggs Street in Joliet Monday morning, Illinois State Police said.
A wrong-way driver slammed into a semi-truck on Interstate 80 in Joliet Monday morning, killing one person and sending another to the hospital, Illinois State Police said.
Troopers responded to the crash on westbound I-80 near Briggs Street around 11:15 a.m., according to a statement from Illinois State Police. Both occupants of the wrong-way vehicle were transported to local hospitals. One was pronounced dead. The identity of the deceased and the condition of the survivor were not released.
The crash shut down all westbound lanes of I-80 in Joliet. Traffic was diverted to U.S. Route 30 and Illinois Route 30 through Maple Avenue, Illinois State Police said in a statement shortly before 2 p.m.
"Due to the accident, all lanes of I-80 heading west are closed and traffic is being diverted to IL-30/Maple Avenue," Illinois State Police said in a Spanish-language statement.
Authorities did not immediately provide details about why the vehicle was traveling in the wrong direction or whether any charges would be filed.
I-80 is one of the busiest highways in Illinois, carrying freight and commuters between Chicago and the Rockford area. The Joliet stretch near Briggs Street sees heavy truck traffic due to the city's industrial corridor and logistics hubs.
Investigations into wrong-way crashes can take days or weeks. Illinois State Police did not say when the highway would reopen to normal traffic flow.
Daniel Hayes is a reporter for Illinois State News.