Washington: Illinois State Police confirmed in a press release that six people died and up to 90 vehicles were involved in a pileup on a highway caused by a dust storm.
“Approximately 30 commercial motor vehicles and 40 to 60 passenger cars were involved. This includes two truck-tractor semi-trailers that caught fire as a result of the crashes,” the release said on Monday. “Reports show there are six fatalities, all occurring in the northbound lanes.”
The cause of the crashes, the release said, is due to excessive winds blowing dirt from farm fields across the highway, resulting in zero visibility.
More than 30 people were transported to the hospital with injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening, the release said. The ages of those injured ranges from two-years-old to 80 years old, the release added.
The crashes occurred Monday morning within a two-mile stretch of highway in Farmersville, Illinois, according to the release.
