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, which was shut down between milemarkers 192 and 184, reopened around 6:30 p.m.

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, identified by the Coles County Coroner as 33-year-old Cody Warren of Farmer City, died. He was the only person in his vehicle.

According to the fire department, 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.