Motorist dies in fiery crash when vehicle plows into suburban Chicago highway toll plaza, police say

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — A vehicle crashed into a Chicago freeway toll plaza early Thursday morning, setting the plaza and plaza in flames and killing the motorist, police said.

Illinois State Police said troopers responded to the scene after receiving a report that a vehicle had struck the Barrington Road Toll Plaza along westbound Interstate 90 in Cook County and was engulfed by fire.

The motorist, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, police said around 4:25 a.m.

Most of the flames were out by 5 a.m., news media reported. Video from the crash scene showed the plaza littered with debris as firefighters poured water over a structure next to the badly damaged vehicle.

The crash occurred near Hoffman Estates, a suburb about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of downtown Chicago.