Police say snow contributed to deadly Illinois crash

The highway collision killed at least 10 people on Friday

JOLIET, Illinois (CNN) -- Ten people died in Illinois when a tractor-trailer truck and a Salvation Army van collided as snow fell on Friday near the intersection of Interstates 55 and 80, state police said.

Provena St. Joseph's Medical Center said the truck driver was in good condition. A woman driving the van was in critical condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The van belonged to the Salvation Army's halfway house in Chicago, Illinois, said Robert Cotner, director of development. He said he did not know where it was going or who was on board.

Police draped the van with a red tarp as it lay next to the truck on a snow-covered patch of ground near the highway.

State police Sgt. Moses Clay said the cause of the accident was not known but "we do feel weather was a factor" and it had been snowing during the midmorning crash. Snow was falling in a band across the central United States on Friday morning.

Television reports showed a small van crushed and folded nearly in two.

The accident happened where Interstate 80, a major transcontinental highway, crosses Interstate 55, which runs between Chicago and St. Louis, Missouri. Joliet is about 30 miles southwest of Chicago.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Illinois Department of Transportation

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