Chicago man dies in chain-reaction motorcycle crash on I-80

WILL COUNTY, Ill. — Two men, including one from Chicago, are dead following a traffic crash involving eight motorcycles on Interstate 80 in northern Illinois.
Around 10:15 a.m. Saturday, Illinois State Police responded to a crash involving a group of motorcycles on Interstate 80 westbound, west of milepost 126.5, near Interstate 55.
Edwin Torres, 45, of Chicago, who was driving a purple Harley Davidson, and John O. Melvin II, 57, of DuQuoin, Illinois, driving a gold Harley Davidson died in the wreck, police said in a news release.
Five men were transported to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, and a Carterville, Illinois, man was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said.
As of late Sunday afternoon, ISP didn’t have an update on the condition of those injured.
Police said a preliminary investigation found the eight motorcycles involved in the crash were a part of a larger group of motorcycles.
One of the motorcycles in the group crashed, which caused a chain reaction involving the eight motorcycles, police said.
All lanes of I-80 westbound were shut down for about five hours for an investigation into the crash; lanes reopened around 3:15 p.m. Saturday, police said.
The cause of the crash is unknown at this time, and an investigation into the incident is ongoing, police said.
Check back on nwi.com for updates to this story.
RECENTLY CAPTURED: Thomas Gross, from Lake County’s Most Wanted
RECENTLY CAPTURED: Thomas John Gross

Gender: Male
DOB: March 27, 1989
Eye color: Green
Hair color: Brown
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 155 pounds
Wanted for: Escape, failure to return to lawful detention
RECENTLY CAPTURED: Shawn Anthony Dalton

Gender: Male
DOB: June 1, 1980
Eye color: Hazel
Hair color: Blonde
Height: 6 feet
Weight: 150 pounds
Wanted for: Burglary
RECENTLY CAPTURED: Carter Levell Cordell

Gender: Male
DOB: June 29, 1988
Eye color: Brown
Hair color: Black
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 215 pounds
Wanted for: Robbery with serious bodily injury
Elitahl Ben Fournoy

Gender: Male
DOB: Dec. 3, 1980
Eye color: Brown
Hair color: Black
Height: 4-foot-7
Weight: 115 pounds
Wanted for: Dealing cocaine
Jody Conley Skipper

Gender: Male
DOB: March 3, 1984
Eye color: Brown
Hair color: Brown
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 180 pounds
Wanted for: Armed robbery, intimidation, auto theft
Keith Dominique Smith

Gender: Male
DOB: Sept. 18, 1989
Eye color: Brown
Hair color: Black
Height: 5-foot-6
Weight: 165 pounds
Wanted for: Dealing controlled substance
Kevin Levar Kizer

Gender: Male
DOB: July 31, 1984
Eye color: Brown
Hair color: Black
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 171 pounds
Wanted for: Criminal confinement, strangulation, intimidation
Kevin Marshall Steele

Gender: Male
DOB: June 9, 1964
Eye color: Brown
Hair color: Black
Height: 5-foot-8
Weight: 130 pounds
Wanted for: Robbery with serious bodily injury
Patricia Alvarez

Gender: Female
DOB: April 3, 1991
Eye color: Brown
Hair color: Black
Height: 5-foot-1
Weight: 150 pounds
Wanted for: Burglary
Walter Wheat

Gender: Male
DOB: Oct. 29, 1986
Eye color: Brown
Hair color: Black
Height: 5-foot-7
Weight: 126 pounds
Wanted for: Criminal confinement while armed, strangulation
Published at Sun, 20 Jun 2021 22:30:00 +0000