Authorities: Fog triggers fatal chain-reaction crashes on Missouri highway

Authorities said at least six people were killed and many more injured during a series of chain-reaction crashes on Interstate 57 in Missouri during the morning rush hour Thursday just as dense fog enveloped the area.

The pile-up occurred around 8 a.m. near Charleston in the southeastern part of the state, miles away from the Illinois line, according to police. Zach Bolden, director of the Mississippi County EMS, told KFVS-TV in Missouri that 50 vehicles or more were involved, including several tractor-trailer trucks.

Bolden said it was foggy when emergency crews responded to the scene. Authorities believe someone hit the brakes and a number of chain-reaction crashes followed.

A photo showing smoke rising from I-57 in Missouri on March 17, 2022, in the wake of a 50-vehicle pileup that officials blamed on dense fog earlier in the day.

Visibility was reported to be near zero in Sikeston, Missouri, the closest reporting station to Charleston and located roughly 12 miles to the west-southwest, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Randy Adkins.

"Locally dense fog was present along that stretch of I-57 from roughly 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. based on nearby observations and satellite imagery," Adkins said. "The denseness of the fog and the short distances over which visibility would be rapidly reduced would make for particularly hazardous driving conditions."

Drone footage shot by local news crews in the aftermath of the pileup showed dozens of vehicles, including several tractor-trailers, in a twisted mess, cargo spilled all over the highway. By that point, the dense fog had long cleared allowing the full scope of the damage to be recognized.

Mississippi County Coroner Terry Parker confirmed at least six people died in the collisions and multiple people were injured, including at least one person who was flown from the scene to an area hospital. Also, Bolden said one or two emergency responders were taken to hospitals for treatment.

I-57 was shut down for 25 miles in both directions from the Missouri-Illinois border to Sikeston/I-55 for nearly 24 hours, reopening around 5 a.m. Friday, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. Robert Hearnes, director of the Charleston Department of Public Safety, said the interstate was likely to be closed most of the day.

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