Multi-vehicle pileup closes I-70 in Illinois during winter storm, U.S.
A massive multi-vehicle crash involving around 40 vehicles, including semitrailers, forced the closure of Interstate 70 near Greenup, Illinois, during a winter storm on January 5, 2025. The Illinois State Police (ISP) confirmed the highway would remain shut for hours with traffic diverted to U.S. Route 40.
Interstate 70 near Greenup in southeastern Illinois was closed on Sunday, January 5, after a major crash involving approximately 40 vehicles. The collision was reported around 13:30 CST (19:30 UTC) near milepost 124 and affected all eastbound lanes.
Traffic was rerouted to U.S. Route 40 as emergency responders worked to clear the scene.
The ISP announced an extended closure and noted that multiple local departments were on-site to assist.
At least one ambulance was seen leaving the scene though there were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities.
Greenup is located in Cumberland County and lies along I-70 which connects southeastern Illinois to Indianapolis to the northeast.
The crash area is one of several regions (central and southern Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia) impacted by strong winter storms bringing heavy snow and gusty winds by severely reducing visibility and creating hazardous driving conditions.
ISP Troop 6 activated its Emergency Snow Plan earlier in the day across several central Illinois counties, including Adams, Christian, Logan, and Sangamon. The plan urged drivers to avoid nonessential travel and cited poor road and visibility conditions.
A “no tow” order is in effect which means vehicles not posing an immediate hazard are left in place until conditions improve.
“During winter storms, even the speed limit can be too fast. Drivers should slow down and move over for emergency vehicles whenever possible,” the ISP stated.
The winter storm also caused a collision on Interstate 55 northbound near Lincoln which is approximately 124 km (77 miles) northwest of Greenup. The portion of I-55 was closed around 17:15 CST (23:15 UTC).
The Illinois Department of Transportation warned of deteriorating conditions across central and southern Illinois. The warning focused on areas south of the I-72 corridor where snowfall accumulation is expected.
ISP officials shared updates on social media at 15:03 CST (21:03 UTC) confirming traffic was being diverted off I-70 at U.S. Route 40.
References:
1 Large car pileup blocking both lanes of traffic on 1-70 – FOX23 NOW – January 5, 2025
2 Multi-vehicle crash closes Interstate 70 in Illinois as winter storm continues – 5CHICAGO – January 5, 2025
3 Multi-vehicle crash closes I-70 eastbound in Cumberland Co. – WCIA.com – January 5, 2025
4 Illinois State Police activate emergency snow plan – WCIA.com – January 5, 2025
Featured image: A satellite map showing the central U.S., including Illinois, on January 5. Credit: NASA worldview/NOAA-21/VIIRS, The Watchers
Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.
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