Deadly Dust Storm Causes Multiple Fatalities on Illinois Highway

A dust storm caused dozens of vehicles to crash along a major highway in Central Illinois, leaving at least six people dead and more than 30 hospitalized with injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening. The crashes along I-55 led to the interstate closing in Sangamon and Montgomery counties after police say dust from newly plowed fields took over the highway. The wrecks happened in both north and southbound lanes, but all the deaths were reported in northbound lanes. Emergency responders had a difficult time responding to the scene due to the thick dust, noting everyone’s “eyes are full of it.”