1 driver killed, 3 others injured in 2 crashes on I-55 in Grundy County

One driver was killed, three others injured and a semitrailer caught fire in two crashes Friday on Interstate 55 in Grundy County.

Dawn M. Hall, 53, of Bloomington was pronounced dead at 9:50 p.m., according to a news release from the Grundy County Coroner’s Office.

Hall was driving south on I-55, and traffic had slowed because of an earlier crash, when her vehicle was struck from behind by a semitractor-trailer and pushed into another vehicle in front of her, according to the release.

The first crash was reported at 7:15 p.m. Friday in the northbound lanes of I-55 near Route 47 at milepost 231 in Grundy County, according to Illinois State Police. The three-vehicle crash involved a rear-end collision between two semitrailers, police said. While no injuries were reported, one semitrailer caught fire.

Because of the size of the fire, lanes were closed for an extended period of time, police said.

The second crash was reported about 9 p.m. Friday in the southbound lanes of I-55, also near milepost 231 in Grundy County, police said.

While troopers were on-scene for the first crash involving the truck fire, a semitrailer failed to slow down and rear-ended a pickup truck and an SUV, police said. The SUV, driven by Hall, rolled over in a ditch. Hall was declared dead at the scene.

The pickup truck’s driver and passenger, along with the SUV’s passenger, were taken to hospitals in the area with serious injuries, police said.

The crash remains under investigation by the coroner’s office and ISP. An examination is scheduled for later Saturday.