Shooting, crash on Stevenson cause traffic jam – NBC Chicago

Travelers traveling during the Fourth of July holiday in the Chicago area can expect to encounter traffic jams Wednesday morning, with several accidents and traffic jams already reported across the city.

As of 5 a.m. Wednesday, at least three crashes were already causing major delays, including on I-55, causing a “stalling,” NBC 5 Traffic reporter Kye Martin said.

“Attention Stevenson Highway users,” Martin said. “Your highway is blocked at Dan Ryan, one of the busiest days of the year.”

One of the accidents causing delays and traffic jams occurred in Hammond, Indiana, where Indiana State Police and Hammond authorities responded at 1:25 a.m. to a head-on collision on southbound Indianapolis Boulevard. Indianapolis Boulevard was blocked from 5th Avenue to Calumet Avenue, Martin said. The roads were reopened by 6 a.m.

In Chicago, two major accident investigations took place following incidents that occurred overnight.

At approximately 2 a.m., Illinois State Police responded to a single-vehicle crash involving a shooting victim on the northbound ramp of I-55 (Stevenson Expressway) between the Dan Ryan Freeway (I-90/94) and Cermak Road.

According to the ISP, one person was pronounced dead at the scene.

All lanes of the ramp and northbound I-55 remain closed for investigation, ISP said.

As of 5:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, traffic on Stevenson due to the crash was heavy, Martin said.

“If you try to take the Stevenson train to the airport, you're in a traffic jam,” Martin said, as traffic was backed up almost all the way to Midway Airport.

“Consider exiting at Pulaski and taking Eisenhower or surface streets to avoid traffic,” Martin added.

Around 2:20 a.m., a separate crash and shooting investigation was underway near Stony Island and 95th Street, where officers responded to a two-vehicle crash with two gunshot victims, ISP said.

According to the ISP, a tow truck driver had stopped to respond to an incident when a confrontation and gunfire broke out.

One victim was pronounced dead at the scene, the ISP said. Another was taken to a nearby hospital with gunshot wounds.

According to ISP, all southbound lanes of Stony Island remain closed from 95th Street to Bishop Ford while the investigation continues.

The traffic and congestion come on one of the busiest travel days for drivers, with about 9.3 million drivers in Illinois expected to hit the road for the July 4 holiday through Monday, the Illinois Tollway said.

According to Tollway, the busiest day on Chicago's roads will be Wednesday, when 1.9 million drivers are expected to use I-294.

Nationwide, AAA predicts that more than 60 million people will travel by car during the July 4 holiday, starting Wednesday.

Thursday is also expected to be a busy travel day at Chicago's two airports, the Chicago Department of Aviation said, with 1.7 million passengers expected through O'Hare and Midway international airports from Thursday through Monday.

This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.