High winds cause Chicago building to collapse, no injuries reported

CHICAGO - Wet weather and high winds caused quite the mess Wednesday across Chicagoland.

Along Wilmington Road, five miles from Peotone, winds traveling 60 miles per hour forced an 18-wheeler on its side. The operator of the semi says he’s driven for his employer more than a decade and never experienced an accident like this.

"I couldn’t believe it," said Marcin Strama. "I was driving like 55, and a car was behind me pushing me to drive faster, but I slowed down … the winds kicked me from the left side … and boom. Good thing I was wearing seatbelt."

Then on the West Side in East Garfield park, a building under construction collapsed. It happened around 5 p.m. in the 2700 block of West Jackson Blvd.

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The three-story frame house had been under construction for a couple of months. Neighbors say winds in the area intensified right before the collapse occurred.

"It was like a big gust of wind, and almost like a sonic boom … and so my neighbor who stays right next door said Jay the building gone. That’s when I came out and made the phone call (to police) because I mean, somebody could have been there," said neighbor Jay Bellinger.

Fortunately, no workers were near the structure at the time and there were no injuries.

Wednesday's building collapse took place less than a mile away from Tuesday's building collapse where one man was killed and two others were critically injured.