Surveying the Dust Storm

RGH Investigations was called to do a legal surveillance for a very unique case. A few months ago, Illinois experienced an uncommon weather phenomenon. There was a severe dust storm on the I-55 highway in southern Illinois. The local media reported video footage of the scene where there were smashed cars and trucks along the highway amongst a thick, dusty haze. One truck in the video was burning. The state police described that the pile up of cars was due to high winds blowing dust across the I-55 highway, leaving drivers with little to no visibility. This tragic event resulted in 40-60 cars and 30 commercial transport vehicles being involved in the pile up. About two dozen people were injured and 6 passed away. RGH Investigations was called by a legal team to investigate the source of the dust storm. They were hiring victims of the car accidents. There are currently lawsuits that need witnesses and evidence. RGH did a legal surveillance of the victims to determine what happened, then supply this information to the client. So, what happened? And what’s the importance of doing a surveillance for this case?

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Surveillance: Is it always undercover?

Surveillance is when a person is questioned or observed by an investigation team in order to gather evidence. Usually, surveillance has the connotation of steaking out in an unmarked vehicle and observing someone go about their day, secretly watching their moves. Surveillance does not always have to be undercover and secretive. RGH Investigations conducted interviews with people involved in the accidents. We took photos of the accident scenes and vehicles involved in the pile up. This information was then supplied to the law firm who used it future lawsuits.

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What Started the Storm?

After interviewing as many people involved as possible, RGH determined by legal surveillance that the storm was partially man made. There was a farmer who was working near by. He did not pay attention to the weather forecast that day, and decided to flip the soil. The dry top layer of soil was rustled up. Dry soil is loose and is easily stirred by the wind. The strong winds blew the top layer of soil over to the I-55 highway, causing the strange weather phenomenon. The farmer was supposed to pay attention to the weather forecast that day to make sure that there were no strong winds and the soil was not so dry. Unfortunately, this mistake caused these tragic and unfortunate events. It is not entirely the farmer’s fault. There was also naturally dry soil around the highway that was stirred by the strong winds. It can also be argued that some drivers did not slow down enough when driving through the dust storm, which could have caused accidents.

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Legal Surveillance for Your Case

RGH Investigations is experienced in surveillance, undercover or not. If you need assistance with evidence and data collection, we are here to help. Our advanced surveillance techniques will help your case develop quickly and efficiently. Contact RGH to open your case at 312-981-8770.