Ice, tomatoes, squash make going tough for drivers on I-57

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Updated: February 9, 2012 7:37AM

If the ice wasn’t enough of a problem, motorists along I-57 had to deal with tomatoes and squash on the road following one of 11 crashes early Wednesday, one of which closed I-57 for about four hours.

Illinois State Police District 21 reported 11 crashes during that time in Kankakee and Iroquois counties between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m., though only one involved an injury. A State Police squad car was involved in a property damage crash, one of five on I-57 at milepost 313.

A rollover crash involving a semi occurred at 4:15 a.m. on I-57 southbound at milepost 313. And about 4:06 a.m., at milepost 301, a 2007 Kenworth truck-tractor hauling a semi-trailer loaded with produce overturned and blocked both lanes of the highway, state police said.

The driver of the truck, 62-year-old Samuel Elizondo of Edinburg, Texas, was uninjured, but the crash caused I-57 northbound to be closed between mileposts 297 and 308 for about four hours. In addition to towing the vehicle, recovery crews had to clear tomatoes and squash from the road. Elizondo was issued citations for improper lane usage and improper driving on the shoulder.

The icy roads and hazardous driving conditions did not extend closer to the Chicago area, apparently. A Joliet District State Police master sergeant said there were no serious incidents or an unusual number of crashes on the roads early Wednesday.

Nonetheless, state police remind motorists to slow down and allow extra time to get to their destinations when the roadways are affected by weather conditions.