Ten people in a Salvation Army van on their way to visit relatives incarcerated in downstate prisons were killed Friday morning when the van collided with a tractor-trailer rig near Interstates 55 and 80, just west of Joliet, authorities said.
The accident happened about 9:30 a.m., after the van, southbound on I-55, crossed over into northbound lanes during heavy snowfall and slammed into the truck, according to state police at the scene. All of the dead were passengers in the van, which left the Salvation Army at 105 S. Ashland and was believed to be heading to Dwight and Pontiac correctional centers.
More Top Picks Best Tens Units For Arthritis
The driver of the van, a 2000 Dodge, was taken to Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, where she was listed in critical condition.
The driver of the truck, identified as Nicholas J. LaLuna, 43, of Kankakee, was taken to the hospital and was listed in good condition.
Ted Rizo, of the Illinois State Police, said the crash was so “horrific” that investigators were unable to determine whether there were any children in the van. Investigators were trying to reconstruct the accident, Rizo said, in order to determine a cause and anyone who may have witnessed the crash is asked to call the state police.
By Friday afternoon, at least six bodies were still inside the van because officials were having difficulty extricating them. The bodies that had been removed from the crash scene were being taken to Will County Sheriff Department Headquarters, where family members were expected to identify victims.
Claudia Rowland, the director of the Salvation Army’s Community Correctional Program, said the van leaves once a day, five times a week, and is a service for local relatives of prisoners sentenced to Dwight and Pontiac. It also picks up passengers from the Salvation Army’s facility at 8700 S. Laflin.
Rowland also gave a phone number for family members who think they may have had a loved one on the van. Relatives can call 312-421-2406, ext. 3317.
State Police had closed the northbound lane of I-55, but it was reopened Friday afternoon.