Snowfall and ice triggered a massive 45-vehicle pileup in Indiana, leaving cars and trucks scattered across an icy highway near Terre Haute.
On Saturday morning, heavy winter weather hit the eastbound I-70 in Vigo county, causing multiple drivers to lose control. A spokesperson for the Riley Fire Department told WTWO 2 it was the largest wreck their team had ever handled.
Footage from the scene shows cars and trucks smashed together along the highway. Indiana State Police Public Information Officer Matt Ames said the cleanup took roughly six hours.
Despite the scale of the crash, Ames confirmed there were no serious injuries.
Major pileup of 45 cars and trucks takes about six hours to clean up
In several Facebook video updates, Ames urged drivers to stay alert as the cold snap continues.
“Folks if you could stay home, just you stay home,” he said. “People just need to drive smart when the snow starts falling, reduce your speed, make sure you’re buckled up and let’s just all be safe out there.
“This shutdown is expected to be at least six hours to get cleanup. We’ve got multiple commercial vehicles and of course multiple passenger vehicles involved in this.”
After hours of work, crews reopened the interstate. Still, Ames warned that snow had started again and drivers needed to remain cautious.
Major pileup of 45 cars and trucks takes about six hours to clean up
“Good news is we’ve got Interstate 70 opened back up at the 15-mile mark around Vigo County, bad news is guess what, it’s starting to snow again,” he said. “If you don’t have to take any unnecessary trips please stay home.”
A major winter storm brought travel disruptions across the Midwest throughout the weekend. Terre Haute saw 3.7 inches of snowfall, and the timing overlapped with the busy Thanksgiving travel period. Flight tracking site FlightAware recorded more than 2,000 cancellations.
Brenda Deter, a 50-year-old massage therapist from Fort Wayne, was among many travelers forced to drive after her flight was canceled.
“Everything got canceled going to Fort Wayne, so I’m working on getting a refund and renting a car,” she told The New York Times. “We’ll have to drive three hours in the snow now.”