A late-night pair of crashes shut down westbound I-88 near Winfield Road on Saturday, ending in tragedy for one driver and an overnight slog for first responders.
Illinois State Police say troopers and emergency crews rushed to the scene just before 11 p.m. The westbound lanes were closed for several hours while they worked in the dark to clear wreckage and document the scene, with traffic only reopening early Sunday morning. Officials have not yet released the victim's identity.
According to ABC7 Chicago, the deadly collision happened when a vehicle rear-ended another car that had slowed because of an earlier crash near the Winfield Road exit. The driver of the rear-ended vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. ABC7 reports troopers shut down the roadway to investigate and said authorities did not immediately share details about what caused that first crash.
Another Recent Deadly Crash On I-88
The Winfield crashes come on the heels of other serious wrecks along the Reagan Memorial Tollway this year. In May, a wrong-way crash on I-88 in the Aurora area killed three people and closed the westbound lanes for hours, according to FOX32 Chicago, intensifying concerns about safety on the corridor.
State Police Renew Caution On Secondary Crashes
Illinois State Police have repeatedly warned that slowed or stopped traffic near crash scenes can quickly trigger secondary collisions, the kind investigators say unfolded near Winfield Road. In a recent press release, Illinois State Police reminded drivers about the Move Over Law and detailed multiple Move Over Law-related incidents this year, underscoring how a seemingly routine slowdown can turn deadly in seconds.
What Investigators Are Saying So Far
Authorities are keeping a tight lid on details beyond the basic timeline. As ABC7 Chicago reports, the identity of the person who died has not been made public, and troopers have not released additional information about the earlier crash that came before the fatal rear-end collision. Illinois State Police investigators continue to work the case and say more information will be released when it is available.
For now, drivers who rely on I-88 are being reminded to prepare for residual delays after major incidents and to keep an eye on alerts from state police and the Illinois Tollway for updates and detour options.
