Chicago Weather: Snow-covered roads lead to crashes on area expressways

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Winter weather conditions have led to traffic issues across the Chicago area Friday morning.

Bursts of snow were reported in the south, west and southwest suburbs as well as in northwest Indiana, leading to roads covered in snow.

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"When you look out, it's like OK, it's a little bit, but then it's like once you start driving, your tires just start spinning," driver Scott Smith said. "I was watching Jeeps and stuff spinning out in front of me."

Slick conditions from lake effect snow caused crash after crash on the area roadways.

Storm Tracker was out heading southbound on the Dan Ryan when the snow hit, freezing once it hit the ground. It surprised drivers and caused multiple crashes.

On northbound Interstate 55, a state trooper was involved in a crash because of the weather. Thankfully, he was not seriously hurt.

The trooper was in a squad car on the shoulder near First Avenue just before 3:15 a.m. with emergency lights on, investigating a crash, when a 2002 Isuzu Axiom lost control and hit the squad car, ISP said.

The trooper was inside of the car at the time of the crash and was taken to an area hospital, where he was treated for injuries and released.

The driver of the Isuzu, 60-year-old Francisco D. Guardado of Chicago, was cited for a violation of Scott's Law and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. Guardado was not injured.

Things just got worse from there as traffic picked up.

In Indiana, Chopper 7HD caught a bad crash involving a vehicle and a tanker truck on the toll road. Multiple lanes were blocked for some time.

On I-80/94, a similar story as slick off and on ramps caused multiple crashes. I-65 experienced similar conditions all morning long.

"Some of these crash locations there are multiple crashes, so it's compounded the effort so as soon as you get one crash cleared within feet there is another one that a trooper has to go and take care of and get tow trucks to," Indiana State Police Sergeant Glen Fifield.

But it's not just on the roads. In the south suburbs, the slick conditions started the moment some residents walked out the door.

"Even my kids when we came outside was like it's a little icy on the ground whoa, I'm like, 'yup it's that time,'" Tashawn Mosley said.

The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation deployed more than 200 salt spreaders overnight and early Friday morning.