30 vehicles involved in chain reaction crashes on Toll Road near Elkhart
No one appears to have been injured seriously on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 14, in a series of chain-reaction crashes involving 30 vehicles on the Indiana Toll Road, the Indiana State Police is reporting.“At the time of these crashes it was snowing heavily with very limited visibility,” the ISP said.
According to the ISP, at approximately 3:51 p.m. dispatch received an initial call advising of a three-vehicle accident in the eastbound lanes of the Toll Road two miles east of Elkhart.
This first crash was followed by a series of crashes in the same area “blocking all eastbound lanes,” the ISP said “Troopers responded and found multiple crashes involving semis as well as passenger vehicles in the eastbound lanes, in the center median, and at least one that crossed the westbound lanes and came to a rest in the ditch on the north side of the interstate.”
“Several injuries were reported with the injured being transported to a local hospital,” the ISP noted. “One semi driver was entrapped for several hours but was freed from the wreckage and transported to the hospital. None of the injuries is believed to be life-threatening. A total of 30 vehicles was involved in this series of crashes.”
At 7 p.m. Wednesday crews were still clearing vehicles from the Toll Road. Eastbound traffic was being diverted at Exit 83 for Mishawaka; westbound traffic, at Exit 96 for C.R. 17.