An Illinois Tollway maintenance worker was killed and two others were injured after being struck by a vehicle on Interstate 294 in suburban Des Plaines early Saturday, state police said.
At around 4:26 a.m., Illinois State Police troopers responded to Interstate 294 southbound at milepost 41.5 for a crash involving multiple tollway workers. A preliminary investigation revealed three workers were conducting pothole repairs when they were struck by a vehicle. All three were taken to an area hospital, where one of the workers was later pronounced dead, state police said.
Footage from the scene showed a black SUV with its hood open, though authorities haven’t confirmed whether the vehicle was involved in the crash.
As of around 7:45 a.m., all southbound lanes were shut down between Dempster Street and Touhy Avenue, with traffic being diverted off at Golf Road, Google Maps showed. All lanes had reopened by 11:25 a.m.
“Heartbreaking news this morning as three tollway workers were struck in Des Plaines while working,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a post on social media. “May their memory be a blessing, and may we come together to pray for the injured. Remember to slow down and keep our workers safe.”
The Illinois Tollway released the following statement:
“The Illinois Tollway Board and all Tollway staff are devastated by the loss of one of our Illinois Tollway roadway maintenance workers.