Westbound I-80 reopens after 5-vehicle crash in Joliet

JOLIET, Ill. - All westbound lanes of Interstate 80 were closed for about 9 hours Friday near southwest suburban Joliet for a crash involving four trucks and a sedan.

The pileup started when one semi truck rear-ended a dump truck about 8:20 a.m. in the right westbound lane near Briggs Street, Illinois State Police said in a statement. The semi then continued forward, hitting another semi in the right lane and a Ford Taurus in the left lane before jackknifing in the median and striking the back of a tow truck in the right lane.

The drivers of the dump truck and the Ford, along with a passenger in the Ford, were hospitalized with injuries that are not thought to be life-threatening, police said.

The semi that started the crash briefly burst into flames, but the driver was not injured, police said. He was cited for improper lane usage, driving too fast for conditions and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

Westbound traffic was diverted for about 9 hours at Briggs Street as crews investigated the crash and cleaned up debris, state police said. All lanes were reopened about 5:20 p.m.