Snowy conditions lead to massive pile-up in Southern Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. — Snowy conditions led to a massive traffic pile-up in southern Wisconsin on Friday that left Interstate 39/90 blocked for hours, authorities said.
The crash occurred around 12:30 p.m. in Rock County between Janesville and Beloit, the State Patrol said in a statement posted on its Facebook page. Troopers arrived to find the interstate blocked in both directions. The Wisconsin State Journal reported one person was injured.
Troopers diverted traffic onto side roads. WIFR-TV posted live video of the scene just before 4 p.m. showing semitrailers backed up as emergency workers walked around them.
State Patrol officials said snow, ice and whiteout conditions were factors in the crash. As of 6 a.m. Friday, the Beloit area had seen 2.2 inches of snow over the last 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service.
The State Patrol said in a separate statement that another multi-vehicle crash around 1:30 p.m. Friday blocked northbound Interstate 41 in Kenosha County near the Wisconsin-Illinois border. Snow, ice and white conditions factored into that crash as well, according to the State Patrol.
Most of southern Wisconsin remained under a winter weather advisory Friday afternoon with more snow expected on Saturday.