According to the Black River Falls-Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, part of Interstate Highway 94 was closed on Thursday in a “massive collision” involving 40-50 vehicles in western Wisconsin.
Authorities were notified of the accident on Interstate 94 near Hixton at around 5:45 am Thursday, according to a Wisconsin patrol. Due to glaze and frozen roads, multiple collisions, vehicle driving from the road, and jackknife cicadas occurred.
When rescuers arrived at the scene, they found a median semi-truck with two cars underneath burning. According to state patrols, multiple secondary collisions and spills occurred in the same area. Vehicle passengers were taken by bus to a safe place.
Lieutenant Tim Weiberg of Patrol, Wisconsin, said about 40 to 50 cars were involved in the incident. No deaths were reported, only minor injuries were reported, he said Thursday afternoon. They want to open both lanes by evening.
As of 1 pm Thursday, part of Interstate 94 was closed due to a collision. The eastern lane is closed from Foster’s Eau Claire County HH to Northfield State 121. The westbound lane of I-94 is closed between US10 in Osseo and US12 / State 27 in Black River Falls. Traffic in both lanes has been rerouted.
Eau Claire’s Wisconsin Patrol Office reported ice conditions along I-94 in the Jackson, Eau Claire, and Dan counties. “This morning, icy rain caused frozen / dangerous road conditions,” the state patrol reported.
Journal sentinel ・ ・ Vehicles piled up and ignited on a frozen highway
Roy Eckberg, a meteorologist at the National Meteorological Agency in Green Bay, said a storm system was spreading northeast in the western part of the state, with a mixture of precipitation such as snow, sleet, and icy rain.
Precipitation covers the area north of Wausau to Manitowoc, he said. On Thursday morning, Eckberg said the main rainfall should end around 2 pm.
Untreated roads can be covered with ice and slippery, and drivers need to slow down and give them extra time to reach their destination, he said.
Contact USA TODAYNETWORK-Wisconsin Reporter Melissa Ziegler ([email protected]). Follow her on Twitter @ Marie2Melissa.
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This article was originally published in the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: Jackson County Accident: Authorities Respond to “Major” Accident Thursday