At least seven people died and 158 vehicles were involved in a major crash in Louisiana, United States, on Monday, October 23, 2023. The accident was caused by a combination of smoke from wildfires in the south of the state and thick fog. This specifically happened on Interstate 55 in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana.
According to the authorities, 25 people were injured, and the number of dead could increase since, until Monday night, rescuers continued to remove the debris and search for possible victims. This was stated by the Louisiana State Police in a press release.
Injured people were transported with injuries ranging from minor to critical from the crash to area hospitals. It should be noted that one of the vehicles involved was a truck that was transporting “dangerous liquid,” the police said without giving further details.
In the videos shared on social networks, you can see how the vehicles are crushed on top of each other, and some are even engulfed in flames. In addition, it was seen that some people were observing the incident on the side of the expressway, while others were waiting in their cars to help.
Traffic is snarled for miles because of the massive crash in Louisiana
The massive crash also caused traffic jams for miles in both directions on Interstate 55. Portions of I-10, as well as the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, had to be closed due to the lack of visibility.
For his part, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said he is praying for those killed and injured in the accident. “The combination of fire smoke and thick fog is dangerous, and I want to encourage all Louisianans in the affected areas to drive with extra caution,” Edwards wrote on his Twitter account.
