What caused the I-55 crash that left 6 dead in IL? Newly plowed fields and high winds

Forecasters expect to see another windy day in the metro-east after strong gusts near farm fields in Montgomery County led to dangerous conditions Monday.

At least six people were killed and more than 30 were hospitalized when dust reduced visibility on Interstate 55, resulting in a crash involving 40 to 60 cars and roughly 30 semi-trailers.

One victim had been identified by Illinois State Police as of Monday morning as Shirley Harper, an 88-year-old from Franklin, Wisconsin.

National Weather Service St. Louis office meteorologist Chris Kimble told the Belleville News-Democrat wind gusts topped 50 miles per hour in the region yesterday.

What caused the pileup on I-55?

“The issue was there were some newly plowed farm fields, and so when the winds came across that, (they were) able to pick up a lot of dust and blow it across the interstate,” Kimble said.

Illinois gets winds of that speed several times each year, the meteorologist said, and they can make driving difficult.

“It’s still dry and windy today, so I would avoid anything that could possibly start a fire, like tossing a cigarette out a window or driving across dry grasses,” Kimble said. “It’s also not the greatest day to plow because it is windy, so any activity that kicks up a lot of dirt will contribute to blowing dirt and blowing dust which could reduce visibility.”

Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said in a Tuesday press conference the dust created a “very serious” situation.

“Fields to the west of I-55 were depositing significant field dust across I-55 causing essentially zero visibility, complete blackout conditions,” Kelly said.

Although high wind speeds are not unheard of, the combination of newly plowed fields had a large effect on driving conditions.

“Certainly dust storms happen, but it is not something that happens every day here in this part of Illinois or in any part of Illinois. So this is very serious, some unusual circumstances,” Kelly continued.

Wind is still a concern in Illinois Tuesday, though speeds aren’t expected to reach 50 miles per hour.

“It’s gonna be windy today, it’s not going to be as windy as it was yesterday. We’re looking at wind gusts 35 to 40 miles per hour today, a little bit less windy than it was yesterday,” Kimble said, “but it will still be strong enough, if the right conditions develop, for some dusty conditions to develop.”

Kimble advised people to turn around or stop if they encounter dusty conditions, when possible.

This story may be updated.