Dust storm causes pile-up on Montana highway, killing six

A fierce dust storm fueled by 60 mph winds triggered a massive pile-up along a Montana highway that left at least six people dead.

More than 20 vehicles were involved in the crash Friday evening on Interstate 90, just three miles outside the city of Hardin, Montana Highway Patrol Sgt. Jay Nelson said, adding it was likely caused by severe weather ripping through area.

First responders work the scene on Interstate 90 after a fatal pileup where at least 20 vehicles crashed near Hardin, Mont., Friday, July 15, 2022. (Amy Lynn Nelson/)

“It appears as though there was heavy winds, causing a dust storm with zero visibility,” he said.

The names of the six people killed have not yet been released. As of Saturday morning, the number of people injured in the chaotic scene also remained unclear.

Thunder storms initially broke out in southern Montana on Friday between 1 and 2 p.m. and then slowly started to make their way east, according to Nick Vertz, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Billings. They prompted a severe thunderstorm watch spanning Hardin and other parts of Montana from mid-afternoon until 9 p.m. Friday.

Traffic is backed up on Interstate 90 after a fatal pileup where at least 20 vehicles crashed near Hardin, Mont., Friday, July 15, 2022. (Amy Lynn Nelson/)

Strong wind gusts at 4:35 p.m., just before the crash, had reached speeds of 62 mph, picking up the dust and decreasing visibility to almost nothing.

“If they looked up in the sky while they’re in Hardin, they probably didn’t see much of what you’d think of for a thunderstorm cloud, maybe not even much at all,” Vertz said. “It was just a surge of wind that kind of appeared out of nowhere.”

Weather in the area is expected to calm over the rest of the weekend.

With News Wire Services