Hoffman Estates, IL — February 2, 2026, two people were injured in a truck accident just before 2 a.m. on Interstate 90/Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.

Authorities said a westbound semi-truck overturned after it collided with a car that had been involved in an earlier crash. The impact pushed the car into an emergency medical technician who had been checking the driver.

The EMT and the truck driver were transported to nearby hospitals with unspecified injuries after the crash near Barrington Road, according to authorities.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Cook County crash at this time. The accident is still under investigation.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people read about a crash like this, the first questions are usually simple: How did this turn into a second collision? And why were people still exposed to danger on the roadway at 2 a.m.? Those questions matter because they point to what evidence will actually explain what happened here.

Based on what’s been released, this wasn’t a single, clean crash. The reported sequence alone raises several unanswered questions that investigators will need to sort out.

It’s not clear whether the stopped car was properly illuminated, how it was positioned in the roadway or what warning measures were in place before the semi arrived. We also don’t yet know what the truck driver was doing in the moments leading up to the collision. At that hour, fatigue is always a possibility, but that can’t be assumed. The only way to know is through evidence: engine control module data showing speed and braking, any in-cab camera footage and the driver’s hours-of-service records.

Another key issue is visibility and reaction time. Depending on whether the semi encountered unexpected lane blockage, flashing lights or a partially obstructed roadway, very different conclusions could follow. Tollway cameras, dash cameras from emergency vehicles and scene measurements can help establish how much time and distance the truck driver had to react.

I’ve handled cases where the early narrative focused on the last driver in the chain, only for the evidence to show a much more complicated picture. Secondary crashes often turn on details that aren’t obvious from a brief police summary: where vehicles were stopped, whether protocols were followed and whether hazards were clearly marked. Until those details are known, assigning blame is premature.

This is exactly why an independent investigation matters. When an EMT is struck while providing aid, the stakes are high, and the margin for error on a highway is thin. The goal isn’t speculation; it’s to let the physical evidence, electronic data and recorded footage explain how this sequence unfolded and who, if anyone, failed to do what the situation required.

Key Takeaways

• This was a secondary collision, and those often hinge on visibility, positioning and warning measures that aren’t yet known.
• Black box data, dash cameras and tollway video will be critical to understanding the truck’s speed and reaction.
• It’s not clear what warning or traffic control was in place before the semi arrived at the scene.
• Blame can’t be assigned responsibly until investigators reconstruct the full sequence using objective evidence.