A scene of unbelievable chaos unfolded on Interstate 70 in Indiana on Saturday, as a massive 45-car pileup brought traffic to a complete standstill for hours. The sheer scale of the accident was so overwhelming that it was immediately dubbed the 'largest wreck' the responding fire department had ever witnessed.
This terrifying event, caused by a sudden, brutal combination of snow and ice, served as a stark, dramatic warning about the hazardous Indiana Road Conditions across the state during the Thanksgiving weekend snowstorm.
The huge, multi-vehicle accident happened about ten miles outside of Terra Haute, Indiana. Pictures from the pileup shared online showed dozens of cars, trucks, and semi-trucks strewn across the snow-filled road, with a handful of drivers tentatively getting out of their vehicles to assess the devastating scene.
Despite the massive collision involving 45 vehicles, the immediate news was a huge relief: local police Sergeant Matt Ames told the station there were 'no major injuries to drivers.' The primary task for the dozens of cops and firemen on the scene became clearing the wreckage to resume the flow of traffic.
The accident had blocked the westbound lanes, and the road remained closed for approximately six hours, finally reopening around 7:00 p.m. local time. The massive pileup occurred in Vigo County, which was under a winter weather advisory until 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, with snowfall expected to be between one and four inches and wind gusts projected at up to 35 miles per hour.
Massive I-70 Pileup: The Largest Wreck To Hit Indiana Road
The shock of the I-70 incident underscores the fragility of Indiana road conditions when winter weather hits. The spokesperson for the Riley Fire Department in nearby Riley, Indiana, confirmed the unprecedented nature of the incident, telling WTWO 2 that it was the 'largest wreck' the department had ever responded to.
Beyond the I-70 tragedy, the hazardous conditions were widespread, leading to numerous smaller accidents and slide-offs across the state. NBC 5 in Chicago reported there were a number of cars that slid off the road on the eastbound side near the I-70 pileup, illustrating the pervasive nature of the danger.
The problem extended far north, with nearly all of northern Indiana placed under a Travel Watch, the second-highest level of warning, according to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security's website. Counties under this severe alert included St Joseph, Elkhart, LaGrange, Kosciusko, Marshall, Starke, Pulaski, and Fulton.
The Travel Watch means conditions are threatening to the safety of the public and that only essential travel is recommended. La Porte County was under an advisory, which is the lowest level of warning, but still indicated dangerous driving.
Major routes like U.S. 31 were described as problem areas, with St. Joseph County police reporting one southbound lane was closed overnight just south of Kern Road due to a stuck semi-truck.
The Fulton County Sheriff's Office shared that conditions were so hazardous overnight that the Highway Department was forced to pull all snowploughs from the roadways, anticipating that the ploughs would only return to work on Sunday morning.
Northern Indiana Road Conditions: Drivers Warn of Hazardous Travel
The official warnings were strongly supported by the harrowing accounts of professional truck drivers forced to pull over. At a rest stop just north of Lebanon on I-65, several truck drivers stopped driving as visibility became impossible during Saturday night's snowstorm.
Darian Duncan, headed to Minnesota from Indianapolis, took a break from driving for a few hours, waiting for the weather to improve. He described the terrifying lack of visibility, stating, 'Couldn't see no lanes at all, no lines, no lanes, no nothing.'
Having witnessed a couple of accidents before stopping, Duncan, who is experienced with driving in the snow, emphasised the danger of ice. He offered blunt advice to anyone considering travel, saying simply, 'Get off the road.'
Guriq Balsingh, another truck driver who came all the way from Canada, stopped for the night, prioritising safety over schedule. He explained, 'Cause of the weather, I couldn't pick up the load—very bad weather. So, it's safe to park in the night.'
Meanwhile, in Indianapolis, the Department of Public Works was actively battling the conditions. More than 100 DPW trucks dropped salt to pre-treat roadways on pre-determined routes.
Kyle Bloyd, Indy DPW chief communications officer, confirmed the dedication of the teams, stating, 'We've got dozens and dozens of drivers on the roads live making sure they're on top of what's going on. They'll do a shift handoff and we're going to continue to go with these 12-hour rotating shifts as long as we have to.'
However, as the massive I-70 wreck proved, the best defence against the hazardous Indiana road conditions is often simply avoiding the highways entirely.
