Six dead, several injured in I90 crash

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Billings Gazette

Six dead, several injured in I90 crash

Billings Gazette 6 hrs ago

High winds and low visibility appear to have contributed to a crash Friday afternoon involving 15 passenger vehicles and six commercial vehicles on Interstate 90 eastbound between 19 miles east of Billings to three miles west of Hardin. There are six confirmed deaths and several injured.

According to the Montana Department of Transportation incident map, the wrecks occurred about 4:50 p.m. causing the closure of both eastbound lanes in Bighorn County. Traffic was backed up for several miles according to reports. The MDT website said all eastbound traffic was being diverted onto Old Highway 87 at mile marker 484 into Hardin. ... On the westbound side of the interstate, traffic was reduced to one lane at mile marker 494.

Montana Highway Patrol spokesperson Sergeant Jay Nelson told the Gazette, "We have a multi-vehicle, mass casualty incident three miles west of Hardin on I90."

The incident alert stated, "Use Caution - High Winds - Dust Storm - Very Low Visibility - Watch Out For Emergency Personnel And Multiple Vehicle Crashes."

Read more: https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/six-dead-several-injured-in-i90-crash/article_e7a57724-0498-11ed-bfe4-9b22ac47ee2a.html

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Photos: 'Mass casualty' crash on I90 near Hardin closes interstate

https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/photos-mass-casualty-crash-on-i90-near-hardin-closes-interstate/collection_44f174b6-04ab-11ed-a036-eb0c5e0042de.html

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Heard this early this morning

Apparently the winds generated a dust storm taking visibility to near zero.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Me too, on KYW and WBZ.

I've been on every mile of I-90 in Montana.

And good morning.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Considering how open it is out there including along the highway

it could have been way worse! We get pileups like that during snowstorms and had a 60-car/truck pileup just 4 months ago during a snow squall on I-81 (where Snow Squall Warnings have now been officially implemented through EAS alerts).

Have been up I-81 headed to Niagara Falls back 8 years ago. That's when I realized my state has wind turbines up along the ridges upstate. Never knew!

And good Saturday morning to you!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. Based on GD, it looks as if today is going to be Looney Toon conspiracy theory day at DU.

Edited: "Toon," not "Tune."

[BumRushDaShow]

5. When I got the breaking banner on that yesterday

and saw it was already posted in LBN, the handwriting was on the wall where that story was going!

[ShazzieB]

7. I've been as far west as Bozeman on I90.

My husband and I took a trip out west almost 5 years ago. Came in from Wyoming on I90, up to Billings and then over to Bozeman. It was a very pretty drive.

[ShazzieB]

6. Holy cow.

"15 passenger vehicles and six commercial vehicles"--what a pileup!

[LizBeth]

8. I came across there Sunday. 80 mph speed limit which served me well

but probably not those in this accident.

[Ford_Prefect]

9. Another side effect of Global Warming?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

10. At least 6 killed as dust storm triggers massive pileup in Montana

At least 6 killed as dust storm triggers massive pileup in Montana by
@TimBella
:

washingtonpost.com
At least 6 dead after dust storm triggers massive pileup in Montana
The Friday crash on Interstate 90 outside of Hardin, Mont., involved 21 vehicles, including six semi-trucks, authorities said.

Link to tweet