Aiexpress – A dramatic crash involving dozens of vehicles, including several semi-trucks, left a chaotic scene on a snow-covered highway in Illinois Sunday afternoon. The collision, which occurred on eastbound Interstate 70 in Cumberland County around 1:30 p.m., resulted in at least one person being injured and 38 vehicles damaged, according to Illinois State Police.
A video filmed by a man at the scene shows the extent of the wreckage, with semi-trucks scattered across both sides of the highway, blocking multiple lanes. An ambulance can be seen on site as first responders tended to the injured. “Both the interstates are blocked. It’s unbelievable,” the filmer said, capturing the devastating aftermath.
The highway remained closed for over 12 hours as authorities worked to clear the wreckage, with both directions of I-70 reopening early Monday morning at approximately 3 a.m., Illinois State Police confirmed.
The crash occurred amid hazardous travel conditions caused by a winter storm that swept through the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic over the weekend. Southeastern Illinois, where the crash took place, was under a winter storm warning through Monday afternoon, with slick roads making travel perilous. The National Weather Service urged drivers to exercise caution while traveling through the region.
The storm also contributed to significant power outages across the area, with over 300,000 outages reported earlier on Monday. By 8:30 p.m. CT, the number of outages had decreased to fewer than 30,000 in Illinois.
Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation, and drivers are advised to remain alert to ongoing winter weather hazards in the region.
