Seven people were killed, and at least two dozen others were injured on Monday when a dense “super fog” over New Orleans severely limited visibility for drivers on an interstate and caused a massive multi-car pileup, authorities said.
The series of crashes — involving at least 158 vehicles — began just before 9 a.m. on Interstate 55 and stretched along a one-mile span of the highway, Louisiana State Police spokesperson Sgt. Kate Stegall told weather.com. According to reports, at least three 18-wheelers were involved in the crash, with at least two fully engulfed in flames.
RAW VIDEO: Scene of multiple crashes and fires on I-55 northbound near the Manchac exit>>https://t.co/p2ctyyrKaS pic.twitter.com/eYJIPb7bw9
— FOX 8 New Orleans (@FOX8NOLA) October 23, 2023
Stegall said they expect the highway to remain closed until crews complete the interstate inspection.
“We are working from the outside, in,” Stegall reportedly said.
The fatal incident left at least 25 people injured, some in critical condition, who were transported to nearby hospitals.
Louisiana State Police reportedly said more fatalities could be discovered as crews continue to clear up the debris of charred and crumbled vehicles that crashed in both directions of the Louisiana expressway.
I55 south bound south of manchac. Stay away pic.twitter.com/aByuvzUsxg
— NorthShore Gladiators (@NSGladiators) October 23, 2023
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards confirmed the accident in a statement Monday on social media.
“Please join me and Donna in praying for those hurt and killed in today’s tragic I-55 crash, as well as their families. The combination of wildfire smoke and dense fog is dangerous, and I want to encourage all Louisianans in affected areas to take extreme caution when traveling,” Gov. Edwards said.
“I also want to thank the first responders and medical personnel who have worked so diligently to save lives and render aid. The best way you can help them, besides exercising caution on the road, is to donate blood at your local blood donation center. It will help replenish supplies that are being drained today to care for the wounded,” Gov. Edwards said.
According to Tyler Stanfield, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in New Orleans, the mix of moisture and smoke from a wildfire across the Mississippi River caused the dense fog.
“It’s the perfect storm,” Stanfield reportedly said.
Stanfield said New Orleans typically sees the super fog twice a year, usually from swamp fires that frequently occur in the region in the Fall due to dry conditions.
Clarencia Patterson Reed told The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate the thick fog forced her to come to an abrupt stop to avoid crashing into vehicles ahead of her on the interstate early Monday. But as soon as she hit the brakes, she was in the pileup when other cars began slamming into her vehicle.
“It was ‘Boom. Boom,'” she said. “All you kept hearing was crashing for at least 30 minutes.”
Reed escaped her vehicle relatively unharmed, but her wife suffered an injury on the side of her leg.
“We’re grateful because we’re alive,” Reed said. “We’re here to tell you what we see up here because some people will not get that chance. It’s bad.”
Christopher Coll told the outlet he had already started pumping the breaks when he noticed the cluster of vehicles crashed in front of him.
“I was already on the brakes, slowing down when an F-250 drove up on top of my work trailer and took me for a ride,” Coll said.
The impact from the pickup truck pushed Coll’s vehicle into the pileup, where he eventually had to kick open his passenger door to flee the chaos. He told the outlet he escaped without injuries, but the series of crashes totaled his vehicle, and he lost all of his work tools and supplies.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Coll said. “It was horrible. It was the worst wreck I’ve ever seen.”