Black ice on interstates and local roads caused spinouts and fender-benders Monday night, but no serious injuries, according to the Illinois State Police.
"It started about 5:30 p.m.," District 5 Master Sgt. Jeff Padilla said. "We had a bunch."
Black ice is a thin, usually clear sheet of ice that is often invisible to drivers. Because it is invisible, drivers cannot adjust speed or incorporate other driving techniques to stay safe on the road. Monday was the first time this area has had snow or ice in these temperatures. In fact, had the area not seen snow on Monday, it would have tied an all-time state record.
The accidents spanned the area, with crashes along Interstate 55, Interstate 80 and Interstate 57 as well as local roads. There were at least five on I-55, south of the I-80 interchange, Padilla said.
"It was everywhere; we had them at Route 30 and Renwick Road," he said.
Many of the crashes were reported along I-80 in the Joliet area and on I-55 both north and south of the I-80 interchange, he said.
"It was pretty widespread," Padilla said.
On Interstate 55, south of the Interstate 80 interchange, Padilla said there were about five accidents, all spin outs. That was both northbound and southbound.
By about 9:30 p.m., conditions had significantly improved.
"It’s pretty much cleared up now," Padilla said. "IDOT came out and salted on our request."
Our local forecast does not predict any further precipitation until Saturday. The high that day is predicted to be 44 degrees.
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