Shooting and Deadly Chain-Reaction Crash Shut Down Eisenhower Expressway on Chicago’s West Side for Hours, Illinois State Police Say

CHICAGO, IL — A motorcycle shooting near California Avenue and a separate deadly chain-reaction crash near Ashland Avenue shut down part of the Eisenhower Expressway on Chicago’s West Side overnight, Illinois State Police said. The incidents happened hours apart and led to major traffic delays on westbound I-290.

Shooting Near California

State police said troopers were called to westbound Interstate 290 near California Avenue around 11:20 p.m. Saturday. The area is near the city’s Near West Side and Lawndale neighborhoods.

Investigators said a person riding a motorcycle had been shot and then crashed. That rider was taken to a local hospital, and police said the person’s condition was not immediately known.

Crash At Ashland Avenue

While closures were still in place for the shooting investigation, troopers responded around 3 a.m. Sunday to a crash on westbound I-290 near Ashland Avenue, about a mile east of the first scene. Police said slowed traffic led to a rear-end collision that turned into a chain-reaction crash.

Video from the area showed a heavy police response. ISP said four vehicles were involved in the wreck.

Hospitalizations And Death

Illinois State Police said eight people were hospitalized after the Ashland Avenue crash. One of those injured was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The agency did not immediately release additional details about the victims or what caused the shooting.

Traffic Reopened By Morning

The right lane and several ramps were closed for hours after the incidents, then reopened around 8 a.m. Sunday. Lanes connected to the shooting investigation reopened earlier, around 5:30 a.m.

Authorities said no further information was available right away as the investigations continued.

TNSO covers California, Nevada, and Arizona as the story unfolds.