Investigators on Thursday were trying to determine how a driver went through a sound barrier on Interstate 55 in Romeoville, Illinois, crashing into oncoming traffic.

The driver was killed in the crash. A large gaping hole remained in the brick sound barrier nearly 12 hours later.

Illinois State Police said they responded to a three-vehicle crash in the northbound lanes of I-55 at 3:46 a.m. Romeoville police said a red Ford Fusion was speeding west on Frontage Road alongside the interstate when it hit a curve and went airborne through the barrier and onto the highway.

At that point, the car was hit by another vehicle, police said.

Pieces of the car could be seen near the hole in the barrier.

The driver of the Fusion, identified as Jonathan Wenzel, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two vehicles traveling northbound on I-55 couldn't stop and hit Wenzel. One driver was transported to a local hospital, then airlifted to the University of Chicago Medical Center with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

CBS News Chicago spoke to that driver's family member, who said their brother was in the ICU Thursday afternoon, and hoped he would pull through.

The third driver and passenger were not injured.

The northbound lanes of I-55 were closed for the entire morning. Illinois State Police confirmed all lanes reopened just before 12:30 p.m.

CBS News Chicago also spoke to a neighbor, who didn't want to be on camera. She said she heard a loud boom noise Thursday morning, stepped outside, and saw a lot of police lights.

The neighbor said the curve where the crash happened has been a trouble area for drivers, and there have been a lot of people speeding.

It was unclear late Thursday whether alcohol was a factor in the crash.