Authorities closed lanes on the I-55 Expressway Sunday on the Southwest Side after a fatal crash caused a large fire. NBC 5’s Lisa Chavarria has the latest details on this developing story.
Authorities closed lanes on Interstate 55 Sunday on the Southwest Side after a fatal crash caused a large fire.
Northbound lanes were closed about 1:45 a.m. at Cicero Avenue because a truck tanker carrying an unknown material, possibly gasoline, crashed and subsequently caught fire, but reopened about 4:20 p.m. Illinois State Police said.
About 1:20 a.m., the truck was northbound on I-55 near Cicero when the driver lost control and the truck flipped over, state police said. The truck then slammed into the concrete barrier wall and burst into flames.
The male driver was ejected in the collision, state police and the Chicago Fire Department said. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
A 39-year-old man was taken to MacNeal Hospital in good condition, fire and state police said.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames that engulfed the tanker, but it remains on the scene hanging over a bridge over train tracks, state police said.
Northbound lanes remain closed as crews work to clear the scene, but state police said they expect the lanes to reopen about noon.
Local
Additional information was not immediately available.
