VIDEO: Van driver killed after rear-end crash with a flatbed tow truck on westbound I-90 at Mile Post 63.5 near Central Road and Freeman Road in Hoffman Estates.
Illinois State Police and Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates firefighter/paramedics responded about 1:00 AM Thursday to a report of crash with injuries involving a van and a tow truck on westbound Interstate 90 42.066635, -88.120246 (63.5 W I-90 Schaumburg, Il). Police and firefighter/paramedics received a report from police and IDOT workers on the scene that a van crashed into a tow truck.
A full-sized van hit a flatbed tow truck, which spun the tow truck almost 180 degrees and destroyed the van. The van was most severely damaged on the front drivers side with the steering wheel and steering column pushed into the backseat passenger seat of the van.
The driver of the van was killed immediately at the scene. Schaumburg firefighters worked to extricate the body from the wreckage and also searched the shoulder area on the north side of I-90 to make sure no other people were ejected in the crash.
Illinois State Police shut down westbound lanes at Route 53 and at Arlington Heights Road. State Troopers helped westbound drivers reverse direction from the blocked crash scene. The first vehicles closest to the crash scene waited until after 3:00 a.m. to be reversed off of the westbound lanes. Motorists then exited at Roselle Road on the ramp from westbound I-90.
The identity of the van driver was not immediately released. The tow truck driver was outside his vehicle when the crash occurred and may have been grazed by the vehicle. He was transported to an area hospital. Initially it was reported that a State Trooper was also grazed, but that was not confirmed.
Illinois State Police investigated the fatal crash scene with westbound I-90 closed until about 6:00 a.m.
The crash occurred right at the location of a flashing text sign that warned, “NIGHTLY LANE CLOSURES” and “BE ALERT.”
The crash occurred just days after the Daily Herald published an article that noted the increase in number of crashes during the I-90 construction project. This week is also National Work Zone Awareness Week in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Transportation has been appealing to drivers all week about passing safely through these zones.
Hoffman Estates firefighter/paramedics staged near Barrington Road and some emergency vehicles accessed the crash scene going the wrong way on westbound I-90 from Barrington Road or from Central Road just north of I-90.
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