Truck fire affects I-80 in Bureau County

Long after the fire was out, traffic heading west on Interstate 80 in Bureau County was slow going.

Emergency crews spent hours at the scene of a semi-truck and trailer fire that happened several miles west of the Ladd and Spring Valley exit Friday night.

The truck was hauling kitty litter. Both of its gas tanks exploded.

Ladd, Spring Valley, Seatonville and Princeton Fire Departments responded and along with Illinois State Police Troopers.

A crash involving a snow plow draws police and firefighters to Interstate 80

While plows have been out since before sunrise Tuesday, most area highways and roads are patchy with snow and ice. Allow yourself extra time to stop.

An accident on Interstate 80 was affecting traffic heading west through Bureau County. The crash Monday afternoon involved a snow plow, semi and a car around about two miles west of the Spring Valley and Ladd exit.

No one was hurt but crews were on the scene for more than hour.

Massachusetts man arrested after traffic stop in La Salle County

A man from Massachusetts probably wasn’t planning to visit Ottawa, Illinois but he’s there now. William Baldelli of Sunberry, Massachusetts was arrested for unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver after a traffic stop on Interstate 80 near La Salle Monday night.

Baldelli was taken to the La Salle County Jail where he was awaiting a bond hearing.

A little snowfall leads to a lot of crashes Thursday

Were you ready for the first light snowfall of the season? Many people weren’t. It wasn’t a large snowfall, but it was enough to create a slick coat of ice on area bridges and overpasses.

Soon after the snow started to fall Thursday afternoon, police and fire departments were getting called to accidents on Interstates 80 and 39.

Many of the accidents were near or on bridges, where without the warmth of the ground, ice formed quickly.

Workers with the Illinois State Police and La Salle County Sheriff’s Department said the crashes were mostly minor, with no serious injuries.

Truck driver ticketed after crash near Princeton

One crash led to another crash near Princeton. Illinois State Police Troopers say a semi-trailer tipped over after a semi rear-ended another trailer around 5:30am Wednesday on Interstate 80.

The crash involved three trucks.   No one was hurt but one of the drivers, David Blacher of Bedford Park, was ticketed for following too closely and not slowing down to avoid a crash.

Seneca trucker killed in rollover near the Bureau County line

A semi rollover that snarled traffic on Interstate 80 has turned out to be a fatal crash.

54-year-old Mark Billings of Seneca died in a Henry County hospital Monday after a crash west of the Henry-Bureau County line.

Billings was heading east on Interstate 80 Monday morning when he left the road and overturned. Eastbound lanes of I-80 were closed most of the day during the clean up.

Westbound I-80 reopens after a serious crash near La Salle

If you were following the story of a crash that closed westbound Interstate 80 near La Salle, three people were injured, including a woman that was taken by helicopter from the crash.

State Police say the accident happened just after 2pm Monday when Kayla Guenther of Ottawa hit a semi while getting on eastbound I-80 from northbound I-39. Guenther’s car went through the median into the westbound lanes.

A couple from Spring Valley was a motorcycle and heading west. Police say the motorcycle hit a guardrail while trying to avoid the crash.

Guenther and the 56-year-old man driving the motorcycle were taken to and area hospital. A 55-year-old woman that was on the motorcycle was taken by helicopter to a hospital.

Guenther was ticketed of improper lane usage.  I-80 reopened shortly after 4:30pm.