Dense Fog Contributed To Fatal 100+ Vehicle Pileup On Missouri Interstate

A chain-reaction crash on an interstate in southeastern Missouri on Thursday morning left six people dead and resulted in a pileup of an estimated 135 vehicles, closing the highway in both directions for hours, the authorities said.

Heavy fog obscured visibility on Interstate 57 at the time of the crash, which included several tractor-trailers and set multiple vehicles ablaze, said Sgt. Jeff Kinder of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

‘It appears a vehicle stopped in front of someone and caused a chain-reaction crash,’ Sergeant Kinder said.

The initial crash occurred about 8 a.m. near Charleston, Mo., on southbound I-57.

The collisions that followed migrated across the grass median into oncoming northbound traffic, shutting the interstate down and ultimately creating a crash scene that extended ‘probably a half a mile long,’ Sergeant Kinder added.