Watch CBS News

Snow Storm Causes Massive Pileup Involving Dozens Of Vehicles East Of Peoria

EL PASO, Ill. (CBS) –  It was bound to be a very long night Thursday night for dozens of drivers who got stuck in a mess outside Bloomington-Normal.

More than 100 vehicles were involved in a pileup on Interstate 39 – north of Bloomington-Normal and east of Peoria.

As CBS 2's Jackie Kostek reported, Facebook video shows just how shaken up drivers were after being involved in the pileup – and there was a good reason way.

If you need another reason to stay home -- There are 100+ cars piled up on Interstate 39 near El Paso, IL. At least...

Posted by Jenise Rebholz HOI News on Thursday, February 17, 2022

Cars were smashed, airbags were deployed, and semi-trailer trucks were bent and twisted across Interstate 39 after Illinois State Police say those more than 100 were involved in multiple crashes near El Paso, Illinois Thursday afternoon.

No major injuries were reported by ISP.

Motorist David Troesser took to Facebook to show the wreckage. His Facebook video showed debris strewn across the roadway after his pick-up ended up in a ditch.

"There's gas pouring out," Troesser said in the video. "This is not safe."

Troesser warned other stranded motorists that more vehicles were likely to pile up.

"Everybody needs to get out of the way, because there's going to be more cars coming," he said.

As temperatures are expected to fall from the teens into single digits overnight, ISP says they are working with local partners to get the people involved to warming centers. Crews late Thursday were working in the dark in the frigid cold to clean up.

Illinois State Police say that closure will likely last about 12 hours until about 6 a.m. Friday. Traffic is being diverted onto IL-251 to avoid the crash.

State police urge everyone to use extreme caution if they have to travel.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.