More than 100 vehicles were involved in a pileup along a Central Illinois interstate as a winter storm brought whiteout conditions to the state.
A 20-mile stretch of I-39 is expected to remain closed until midday Friday as the clean-up continues in Woodford County near El Paso, about 130 miles southwest of Chicago.
At least 19 semi-trucks and nine passenger vehicles were directly involved in the initial crash Thursday afternoon, according to state police. Numerous other vehicles slid off the road to avoid crashing. Ultimately, more than 100 vehicles were involved in the crash, which stretched for nearly 20 miles.
Several of the semis spilled their loads, as well.
No serious injuries were reported, according to police.
The crash happened during a winter storm that dumped more than six inches of snow on the region. White out conditions were reported at the time, according to police.
David Troesser was among those involved in the crash. In video he posted to Facebook, vehicles are mangled, debris is strewn across the road and what appears to be gas spills from a punctured tank on a tractor trailer.
"There's gas pouring out, bad," Troesser said. "Holy sh**. This is not safe."
Drivers stranded in the pileup were transported to warming centers while tow trucks worked to remove the vehicles.
"The City of El Paso and the El Paso Police Department are working with the State Police and the Red Cross to care for those persons involved in the accident," officials said on the city's Facebook page. "There were a few minor injuries but all people are being taken care of and will hopefully get a restful night sleep."
All lanes of I-39, from milepost 5 in Normal to milepost 22 in Minonk, remain closed as cleanup continues. The Illinois Department of Transportation said the interstate is not expected to reopen until roughly midday Friday.
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