Blowing snow and poor visibility led to a series of crashes involving dozens of vehicles on the Indiana Toll Road on Monday, causing authorities to shut down a portion of the interstate for several hours, law enforcement confirmed.
All eastbound and westbound lanes of the Toll Road – Interstate 90 – were closed near the 67 mile marker in St. Joseph County at around 11 a.m., officials said in a Facebook post. The crashes occurred roughly 18 miles east of the LaPorte exit, where eastbound traffic was diverted. Drivers heading westbound were redirected to the 72 mile marker, which is the South Bend west exit.
In an update at 3:23 p.m., the toll road said all lanes had reopened, but traffic was moving slowly and drivers should expect delays.
According to authorities, several vehicles traveling eastbound near mile marker 67, at which point a pickup towing a trailer tried to avoid the vehicles. The pickup ended up hitting the bridge wall, which caused the trailer to disconnect and come to a rest in the eastbound lanes.
A chain reaction of crashes involving dozens of vehicles occurred as a result, state police said. An additional series of crash was reported in the westbound lanes near the 68 mile marker.
According to authorities, injuries were reported in several of the crashes, and an unknown number of patients were taken to area hospitals.
Sgt. Ted Bohner, a public information officer with the Indiana State Police, posted photos from the scene on Facebook showing several vehicles alongside the interstate, including multiple in ditches. Debris was also scattered nearby.
Dangerous weather conditions also unfolded in western Michigan, where a separate pileup involved many as 100 vehicles along Interstate 196 in Zeeland Township, which is about 25 miles southwest of Grand Rapids.
