Man cited in four-truck crash

A Wisconsin driver was ticketed Monday for starting a four-truck collision that sent three drivers to the hospital and redirected traffic on Route 53 in Schaumburg in the afternoon.

Russell J. White, 30, of Milwaukee was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident after an investigation by Illinois State Police.

Traffic on northbound Route 53 was rerouted from Higgins Road to just north of Woodfield until about 2:30 p.m.

According to police, White was driving a semi-trailer truck that rear-ended a pickup truck that then rear-ended a box truck on northbound Route 53 at Higgins Road at 12:45 p.m.

The box truck spun around and struck a guardrail and another semi-trailer truck before coming to rest facing south, police said.

The first semi also lost control after the original collision and collided with about 250 feet of guardrail, according to police.

Schaumburg Deputy Fire Chief William Spencer said one of the vehicles spilled a shipment of non-toxic hydraulic fluid over the roadway that needed to be cleaned up even as the preliminary investigation was taking place.

Ambulances from Schaumburg, Rolling Meadows and Elk Grove Village transported the three injured drivers to area hospitals. There were no passengers in any of the vehicles, Spencer said.