The cars were on fire but everyone fled.
We have dramatic videos and photos from western Wisconsin. A massive pileup of over 40 vehicles resulted in a black ice-covered highway. Although the scene looks terrible, no injuries were reported. It happened on I-94 at dawn on December 23.
According to the Star Tribune, reports of crashes began arriving around 5:45 a.m. local. The incident began with a semi truck sliding onto the highway median and setting fire to two cars below. The road was covered in ice because of the freezing rain that had been falling. As this Facebook post by the Wisconsin State Patrol demonstrates, things went crazy fast.
A YouTube video from TVM4 News shows vehicles set ablaze amid a sea tractor-trailer rigs. Some of these rigs are even overturned on the highway.
Another video from Mike Olsen, on Facebook, is the most dramatic. He drives by the fire with trucks and cars scattered around.
It was not surprising that all lanes eastbound and westbound of I-94 were shut down. This article was posted in the early hours of the afternoon. This stretch of I-94, located not far from Minneapolis is heavily used and serves as a major route to truck traffic between Minneapolis and Chicago. We suspect that many would consider it a Christmas miracle, given the amount of twisted metal and cars on fire.
Although this is not a great place to start, it isn’t the worst thing for holiday-makers in the region. Thankfully, there have been no injuries reported. People all over the globe are traveling to family gatherings. Be careful and aware of the conditions. It is better to arrive a little late than never.