1 killed in tanker crash on Stevenson Expressway on Southwest Side; lanes reopened

CHICAGO (WLS) -- One person is dead after a crash caused a large fire on the I-55 Expressway Sunday on the Southwest Side, Illinois State Police said.

Lanes were closed around 1:40 a.m. at Cicero Avenue because a Mack Trucks tanker carrying an unknown material, possibly gasoline, crashed and caught fire, state police said.

At 1:20 a.m. the truck was traveling northbound on I-55 near Cicero when the driver lost control and the truck flipped over, state police said. The truck then hit a concrete barrier wall and burst into flames.

The male driver of the truck was ejected during the crash, the Chicago Fire Department said. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

A 29-year-old man was taken to MacNeal Hospital in good condition, CFD said.

CFD extinguished the flames that engulfed the tanker, but it remained on the scene hanging over a bridge over train tracks, state police said.

Police said it's unknown if the driver of the tanker was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

All lanes of traffic reopened about 5:45 p.m.