The crash occurred near Touhy Avenue at about 3:50 a.m.
The inbound side of the Edens was closed for roughly six hours, jamming up the morning commute for those heading into downtown from the northern suburbs. The expressway was shut down until shortly after 10 a.m.
The crash involved a semi-truck and a vehicle, with the vehicle ending up in a ditch and the truck bursting into flames and hitting support beams on the Touhy bridge.
Illinois State Police said one person was killed and another was transported to the hospital with injuries.
Police later said the truck driver died, and the driver of a passenger vehicle was injured.
Chopper7 showed the miles-long backup as Illinois Department of Transportation workers forced drivers off the expressway at Touhy Avenue, while Illinois State Police investigated the deadly crash.
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The closure remained in place for several hours so the bridge could be inspected and a sign could be repaired.