Blizzard-like conditions play role in major pileup on I-76

Blizzard-like conditions play role in major pileup on I-76

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Blizzard-like conditions across parts of Ohio on Saturday and early today contributed to three major chain-reaction accidents involving more than 60 vehicles — including several tractor-trailers — and closing multiple stretches of highways for hours, but no serious injuries were reported.

A snowstorm that centered over a section of the Ohio Turnpike contributed to a string of 18 crashes over a mile stretch on the westbound side of the highway in the Akron area, according to the State Highway Patrol.

It started with a two-car crash around 1 p.m. By the time it was over, 32 vehicles were involved in rear-end or sideswipe crashes, blocking traffic completely, the patrol said. Eight more vehicles crashed as a result of the traffic backup, it said. Two people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries.

Westbound lanes of Interstate 76 in northeast Ohio were closed for about six hours after a series of crashes involving more than two dozen vehicles. One of the crashes involved 11 vehicles, including three semitrailers, and sent 10 people to the hospital, according to the highway patrol. Another involved 16 vehicles, including two semis, and sent four people to the hospital. None of the injuries was considered life-threatening.

Winds nearing 40 mph had blown water from Lake Erie onto Interstate 90, icing the road and causing at least one accident, according to The Plain Dealer newspaper.

Northeast Ohio wasn’t the only region coping with slick roads because of the snow. County sheriffs as far south as Jackson County issued advisories warning drivers to beware of icy routes or to stay home unless travel was necessary.

The highway patrol reported at least two fatal crashes in counties with snowfall but did not directly link the accidents to weather-related problems.