Chicago Weather: Freezing drizzle, fog create dangerous driving conditions
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Lingering flurries and patchy, freezing drizzle created dangerous road conditions in the Chicago area overnight. Drivers should reduce speed and keep a safe distance during the Monday morning commute.
Around 1:30 a.m. Monday, a woman was killed in a crash on the inbound Dan Ryan Expressway near 87th Street. Illinois State Police said her SUV went off the road and struck a concrete barrier before smashing into a light pole.
The woman was taken to St. Bernard Hospital, where she was pronounced dead less than an hour later, state police said. She has not been identified.
Around 11 p.m. Sunday, firefighters in south suburban Alsip rescued a driver whose car had gone into a creek.
The vehicle apparently slipped after coming around a corner. The driver traveled about two blocks on the frozen creek before the ice cracked. The driver was able to get up and out of the car with no injuries.
"He had to be driving on the creek. Had to be. That's the only way you could make this happen is driving on the creek because there's no tire marks on the street. So he had to come down the creek the other way," one witness said.
The freezing drizzle and fog are slightly affecting visibility Monday morning. Drivers should exercise caution on the roads. Illinois Department of Transportation officials said 200 trucks were deployed for the morning commute to watch for slick spots.
ABC7 Meteorologist Tracy Butler said Monday afternoon will be cloudy and not as cold. High temperatures will reach the low 30s.
