8th person dies after I-55 dust storm crash
SANGAMON COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) -- An eighth person has died after the downstate Interstate 55 dust storm crash earlier this month, the Sangamon County Coroner's Office said Wednesday.
Ruth Rau, 81, of Sorento, Illinois was a passenger in a motor vehicle that crashed in the May 1 incident, the coroner's office said.
Rau was transported to HSHS St. John's Hospital in Springfield, and died at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday from multiple blunt force injuries she suffered in the crash.
Officials previously identified the other seven individuals killed in the crash as Otto Medina-Salazar, a 58-year-old Missouri man; Joseph Bates, 73, of Crystal Lake and Donna Bates, 71, of Crystal Lake; Earl LeGrand, 64, of Florissant, Missouri; Michael Zinchuk, 55, of Champaign and Amy Zinchuk, 54, also of Champaign; and 88-year-old Shirley Harper of Franklin, Wisconsin.
The crashes took place about 10:55 a.m. on Monday, May 1 near downstate Farmersville.
Seventy two vehicles were involved, and dozens more people were injured.
