Dozens of people were injured in a massive pile-up on a snow-covered Wisconsin highway Friday.
At least 85 cars were involved in a major crash on I-39/90 between the cities of Beloit and Janesville, located just north of the Illinois border and about 50 miles southwest of Madison, Wisconsin State Patrol said.
Beloit Memorial Hospital told WIFR-TV that at least 27 people were treated for injuries sustained in the crash, though the extent of their injuries was not immediately clear.
The initial crash occurred around noon, police said. Law enforcement arrived to find the interstate blocked in both directions.
The collision sent many vehicles, including semi-trucks, veering off the road, images taken of the pile-up show.
“This incident occurred during a severe winter weather event with snow, ice and whiteout conditions believed to be a factor in the initial crash,” state patrol said.
As of 6 a.m. Friday, the Beloit area had seen 2.2 inches of snow over the last 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service.
The agency issued a weather advisory from 6 a.m. Saturday through Sunday afternoon for an expected snowfall of up to 6 inches, slippery road conditions and increasing winds.
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The massive pile-up caused a tremendous traffic backup as emergency workers cleared the area. The highway wasn’t fully reopened to traffic until 9:45 p.m.
The Rock County incident wasn’t the only weather-related crash of the day.
In Kenosha County, roughly 70 miles from the Beloit collision, state patrol responded to a multi-vehicle crash around 1:30 p.m.
Two semi-trucks and six cars were involved in the collision, according to Fox6 News.
With Post wires