Four people died and multiple others were injured in a massive car crash involving at least 46 vehicles, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said Friday.
The crash occurred in the eastbound lanes on the Ohio Turnpike in Erie County. A stretch of the westbound lanes of the turnpike reopened at 11:25 p.m., at least 12 hours after the crash, but the eastbound lanes remained closed.
Fifteen commercial vehicles were being cleared from the turnpike late Friday, and “white-out conditions persist,” highway patrol said.
Buses were being used to take people from the crash site to a local facility so they could stay warm, according to the agency.
Photos posted on Twitter showed a black pickup on top of the pileup. Other images showed mangled semitrucks and several vehicle crushed between a median and a trailer.
“The weather outside is not favorable, and often times there are whiteout conditions, which does not make it safe for travel,” Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Purpura said in a video about the accident on Twitter.
Purpura asked people to stay home or take precautions if they have to drive, including moving slowly and allowing more space between cars.
