1 dead, others injured in crash that shut down part of I-57 in Coles County

COLES COUNTY, Ill. (WAND) - One person is dead and several people are in the hospital after a crash involving multiple vehicles in Coles County Thursday.

The Coles County Sheriff's Office told WAND News the crash happened near milemarker 185 on I-57 south at 8:35 a.m.

I-57 south is shut down between milemarkers 192 and 184.

Illinois State Police initially said three semi trucks and multiple passenger vehicles were on fire in the southbound lane.

The Mattoon Fire Department said while responding, firefighters were told that one of the vehicles was smoking. However, the department said it turned out to be oil on the engine block that was smoking, and there were no vehicles on fire.

The fire department confirmed that one person is dead, and two others were taken to the hospital, including one person who had to be air-lifted.

The department also said one of the semi-truck drivers needed to be extracted from the cab of his truck.

According to the fire department, one of the semi-trucks was a tanker carrying sugar water. Firefighters said no hazardous materials were spilled.

ISP and IDOT will be diverting traffic off of I-57 South at Exit 192 (CR 1000N) for the next several hours.

We will update this story as more information becomes available.

Study warns data centers could cost Illinois billions and harm public health

ADM settles for $40 million following SEC investigation

Sentencing set for former deputy convicted in Sonya Massey’s death