DRAGS OUT A LONG TIME.
>> YES, THANK YOU.
>>> WE ARE HEARING THAT POLICE
ARE CLOSING THAT SAME STRETCH
OF I-55 WHERE A DUST STORM
CAUSED A 72 CAR PILEUP SEVEN
ILLINOIS.
POLICE ARE BEGGING FOR
INFORMATION ON THE UNIDENTIFIED
VICTIMS.
HERE IS A LOOK AT SOME OF THE
NEW VIDEO HIGHLIGHTING THE
SCOPE OF THAT DEADLY CRASH THAT
KILLED SIX PEOPLE.
IT'S HARD TO TELL WHAT IS FROM
THE FIRES AND WHAT IS DUST FROM
THE STORM.
ONE OF THE VICTIMS WAS SHIRLEY
HARPER.
YOU CAN SEE THE PICTURES OF THE
BURNED AND MANGLED CARS.
37 PEOPLE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL,
WITH AGES RANGING FROM TWO
YEARS OLD TO 80.
THIS IS CALLED A SERIES OF
UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
>> IT'S A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
DUST STORMS HAPPEN.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS
EVERY DAY IN THIS PART OF
ILLINOIS OR IN ANY PART OF
ILLINOIS.
>> JESSE KIRSCH IS JOINING US
NOW, FROM ILLINOIS.
POLICE SAY THEY ARE NOWHERE
NEAR ANY POSSIBLE CRIMINAL
CHARGES THERE'S A LOT OF
INVESTIGATING LEFT ABOUT
POSSIBLE NEGLIGENCE.
WALK US THROUGH THE STAGES OF
THIS CASE RIGHT NOW.
>> YES, SO, WHAT APPEARS TO BE
ABUNDANTLY CLEAR IS THAT THIS
WAS A VERY RARE CONFLUENCE OF
CIRCUMSTANCES.
THE WIND IS GUSTING POWERFULLY,
AGAIN, WITH THE STRETCH OF
HIGHWAY BEHIND ME, THE SAME
STRETCH CLOSED YESTERDAY, ONCE
AGAIN SHUT DOWN BECAUSE OF
CONCERNS OVER HIGHWAYS AND
POTENTIAL FOR A DUST STORM.
WE GOT A BLAST ON OUR PHONES
FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE ON OUR WAY HERE.
I'VE GOTTEN THEM FOR TORNADOES
BEFORE, OTHER STORMS, BUT I
HAVE NOT GOTTEN THEM TIED TO
THIS BEFORE IN THIS AREA. I
SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN CHICAGO
AND NEVER SAW THAT KIND OF
ALERT BEFORE.
WITH THE RARITY OF THE
SITUATION WE'RE LOOKING AT,
OFFICIALS HAVE SAID THERE ARE
DUST STORMS, BUT TO HAVE IT
LEAD TO SUCH A CATASTROPHIC
SITUATION IS A RARITY.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
SAYS THAT FRESHLY PLANTED
FARMLAND AND DUST COMING OFF OF
THAT.
I DID SEE FARMING EQUIPMENT OUT
IN FIELDS ALONG THE HIGHWAY AND
YOU CAN SEE THE DUST OFF THE
BACK OF THAT EQUIPMENT.
THERE WAS WIND UP TO 45 MILES
PER HOUR YESTERDAY, PROPELLING
THAT DUSTING CREATING THIS
STORM ALONG I-55 IN BETWEEN
CHICAGO AND ST. LOUIS.
THAT PUTS THIS INTO PERSPECTIVE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS SAID
TO BE RARE, BUT THEY DO GET
SOME DUST, HERE.
HERE IS PART OF WHAT WE HEARD
FROM OFFICIALS AT A PRESS
CONFERENCE.
>> IT DOES NOT BENEFIT A FARME
, SO THEY WOULD HAVE NO
MOTIVATION AND NO REASON THAT
THEY WOULD WANT TO DO SOMETHING
THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS IN ANY
WAY.
>> AGAIN, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT
THE POSSIBILITY OF SOMEONE
TRYING TO DO SOMETHING
PURPOSEFULLY OR WITH NEGLIGENC
. THANKFULLY, IT DOESN'T SEEM
LIKE SOMEONE IS ELABORATELY
TRYING TO DO SOMETHING TO KICK
UP SOIL AND A WAY TO CREATE
THIS MESS THAT HAS,
UNFORTUNATELY, KICKED CLAIMS
SIX LIVES.
>> IT'S BIZARRE, NONETHELESS.
OUR AFFILIATES INDICATOR SPOKE
WITH TWO SURVIVORS WHO ARE
GOING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
THE FIRST MAN HELPED THE WOMAN
OUT OF THE CAR AND THE SECOND
GOT STUCK HIMSELF.
>> THE WHEELS, AGAINST ONE DOOR
WITH ANOTHER SEMI AGAINST THE
OTHER.
SHE WAS STUCK BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL.
STEERING WHEEL.
>> I FELT LIKE OH, I'M OKAY,
AND YOU ARE JUST GLAD THAT
OTHER PEOPLE ARE OKAY.
>> IT'S A TERRIFYING SET OF
CIRCUMSTANCES BUT I UNDERSTAND
WE ARE GETTING AN UPDATE ON THE
CONDITIONS OF SOME OF THE
PEOPLE HURT IN THIS.
>> ONE OF THE HOSPITAL
ASSISTANCE SAID THAT THEY HAD
MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE
TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THEY SAY
THAT MOST OF THEM HAVE BEEN
DISCHARGED.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THOSE
INJURED IS THAT WE HAVE 37
PEOPLE.
POLICE SAY THAT INCLUDES AT
LEAST ONE CHILD AND THAT THERE
ARE SOME LIFE-THREATENING
INJURIES.
AGAIN, IT SOUNDS LIKE MOST OF
THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL, WHICH IS
FROM THE HOSPITAL, WHICH IS
OBVIOUSLY SOME REASSURING NEWS.
TO ANOTHER POINT ON THE
TRAGEDY, WE KNOW THAT SIX
PEOPLE WERE KILLED ACCORDING TO
OFFICIALS AND MAY HAVE POSSIBLY
IDENTIFIED ONE PERSON