It's believed the dog jumped out of a car sometime before 4 p.m.
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The dog then ran in the inbound lanes until it was finally caught by officers, according to police.
Illinois State Police responded to a two-car crash at 3:30 p.m. on the northbound Dan Ryan at 79th Street.
Both cars were driving in the left lane when traffic slowed down. For unknown reasons, one vehicle rear-ended the other. The car in the front became fully-engulfed in flames.
The vehicle that caused the crash fled, police said. The driver in the vehicle that caught fire was hospitalized with minor injuries.
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Chicago police had located the dog on the Dan Ryan at 71st Street sometime before 4 p.m. Police and Animal Control removed the dog.
The incidents caused a huge backup in both directions of the expressway.
All lanes reopened at 4:15 p.m.