A suspicious death on the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) brought traffic to a halt in Westchester on Thursday morning after Illinois State Police shut down the highway and launched a criminal investigation. The late-morning commute across the western suburbs quickly turned into a mess as troopers and emergency crews swarmed the scene.
Illinois State Police said the incident unfolded about 10:05 a.m. in the westbound lanes near Mannheim Road, and the Cook County medical examiner confirmed one person was dead. A bomb squad responded, and police closed both eastbound and westbound lanes of I-290, along with ramps at Mannheim Road and the eastbound I-88 to the eastbound I-290 connector. Drivers were urged to seek alternate routes while investigators worked, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Detours and commuter impact
Troopers pushed traffic onto surface streets, and drivers quickly ran into heavy backups as crews processed the scene and checked for any hazards. Commuters in Oak Park, Bellwood and nearby suburbs reported much longer trips while state police and local officers set up detours and rolling closures.
Recent incidents on the Eisenhower
The I-290 stretch near Mannheim Road has been the site of several serious crashes in recent weeks, highlighting ongoing safety and congestion problems. On May 4, a motorcyclist was killed near the same exit, shutting inbound lanes for hours, as reported in a story on the deadly Eisenhower smashup near Mannheim. NBC Chicago has also frequently covered multi-vehicle crashes and closures along the Eisenhower over recent years.
Investigation ongoing
Illinois State Police said the investigation remains active and warned that closures could be extended while evidence is collected. Further details, including the identity of the person who died and a possible cause, had not been released, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
