HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILLINOIS — A chain of crashes on I-90 westbound in Hoffman Estates early Monday left a private EMS driver severely injured after being struck at the scene while rendering aid, according to Illinois State Police. The incident began as a DUI crash involving two sedans, then escalated when a semi-trailer truck hit the scene and rolled over, pushing a damaged vehicle into the EMS worker and triggering a major shutdown of the Jane Addams Tollway.

Police, firefighters and paramedics from Hoffman Estates, along with Illinois State Police troopers, responded around 1:56 a.m. Monday, February 2, 2026, to the westbound lanes near mile marker 62 (milepost 61 also reported), close to the I-90/Barrington Road interchange by the AMC South Barrington 24 area.

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Chain reaction from earlier DUI crash

Authorities said the incident stemmed from an earlier crash involving two sedans — a Ford and a Kia. The Ford driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

A private ambulance from A-TEC stopped at the scene to assist victims from the initial crash. The ambulance itself was not struck, but the EMS driver/worker outside the vehicle was hit during the subsequent collision.

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Semi strikes scene, rolls over, EMS worker hit

Illinois State Police said a semi-trailer truck struck the vehicle involved in the earlier crash, then rolled onto its side, pushing that vehicle into the EMS worker. The EMS worker sustained injuries that were described as severe (initially reported as non-life-threatening but serious) and was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, a Level 1 trauma center.

A female patient was also transported to Alexian Brothers Medical Center, officials said. The semi driver involved in the rollover was also transported to a hospital.

Second semi stopped short; load shift damages truck

A second semi-trailer truck was also involved at the scene, but authorities said it did not strike another vehicle. Investigators said the driver braked hard defensively, causing the cargo to shift and damage the truck. One of the trucks was reported to be hauling cleaning supplies, described as non-hazardous.

Road closures and reopening

During the response, Lanes 3 and 4 of I-90 westbound were initially blocked, but the situation escalated to a full closure of all westbound lanes as troopers and Hoffman Estates officers diverted traffic off I-90 at Barrington Road.

Illinois State Police said the shutdown lasted for several hours before all lanes reopened at about 8:15 a.m.

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