I-94 crash in Chicago: One killed, several injured in wrong-way collision; scary videos emerge as traffic increases

A wrong-way driver triggered a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 94 on Chicago's South Side Friday evening, leaving one person dead. According to Illinois State Police, a wrong-way collision on Interstate 94 on Chicago's South Side on Friday night resulted in one death and numerous injuries. The crash has prompted a major emergency response and the closure of northbound lanes.According to Illinois State Police, a wrong-way collision on Interstate 94 on Chicago's South Side on Friday night resulted in one death and numerous injuries. (Representational) (Unsplash)Videos and photos circulating on social media showed a large number of police and emergency vehicles present near the scene.The crash occurred at approximately 5:48 pm in the northbound express lanes of I-94 near 55th Street, according to Illinois State Police. Investigators said a vehicle entered the interstate in the wrong direction near 31st Street, traveling south in the northbound lanes before striking multiple vehicles near Garfield Boulevard.Also read: Glenolden Walmart shooting: What happened at the Pennsylvania store? Here's what we knowWhat happened on I-94?Illinois State Police said the wrong-way driver collided with several vehicles after entering the expressway from the wrong direction. Authorities have not disclosed how many people were hurt or the severity of their injuries.Police have also not released the identity of the person who died. It remains unclear whether the deceased was the wrong-way driver or another driver involved in the crash.The crash triggered a significant emergency response involving Illinois State Police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel. Images shared online showed numerous emergency vehicles lined up along the interstate.Also read: Is IShowSpeed OK? Fans worried after streamer crashes during scary 60 million-subscriber celebration stuntTraffic diverted as videos show major emergency responseAs investigators worked at the scene, all northbound traffic on I-94 was diverted at 67th Street. This has caused significant delays during the Friday evening commute. Illinois State Police advised drivers to avoid the area and seek alternate routes.Authorities had not announced when the interstate would fully reopen.Traffic reporter Bret Buganski posted on X that he had “not seen this many emergency vehicles in a long time.” He added that rescue crews struggled to reach the crash because some drivers were using the shoulder instead of leaving it open for emergency vehicles.He wrote, “Bad crash on 94 north of Garfield and I haven’t seen this many emergency vehicles in a long time. Still can’t see the crash but it seems big. Crews are having a hard time getting thru bc too many drivers are on the shoulder. @fox32news they’re telling people to move left.”Another video showed a state trooper confronting a driver who allegedly continued driving on the shoulder despite emergency operations. Buganski wrote, “State trooper yelling at this man who is riding the shoulder and right up on a state two truck. The man in the car continues to mouth off to the officer and call him expletives.”Shirin Gupta is a content producer with the Hindustan Times. She covers everything between politics, entertainment and sports at the US desk. Shirin got interested in political journalism during her time as a web editor at her college newspaper NCC News in Syracuse when she first started seeing the effects of national politics in life of her fellow colleagues. Shirin has worked on a wide range of fast-moving and developing stories locally when she was at NCC editing accessible reports for the audience. Her current role requires her to track real-time updates, verify information and present balanced coverage across diverse beats. Covering US politics from an international newsroom perspective has further deepened her understanding of how domestic decisions can have far-reaching global consequences. With a keen interest in international affairs, Shirin continues to build her expertise in geopolitics, policy shifts, and cross-border developments. She aims to learn and evolve her reporting in matters of geopolitics and international issues. Outside the newsroom Shirin writes about books and music for her personal blog. She is an avid consumer of pop culture and reveres literature.Read More