MANCHAC, La. — In an incident of severe fog on Monday morning, at least seven people lost their lives, more than two dozen sustained injuries, and a staggering 158 vehicles suffered damage in a series of at least three significant collision clusters on I-55. The dense fog reduced visibility to near zero.
State Police are currently engaged in an ongoing search for potential victims, as they believe there may be additional casualties to report. As of 6 p.m., I-55 remained closed, with efforts underway to clear the damaged vehicles from the roadway.
During the incident, one vehicle veered off the interstate and into the water below, but fortunately, the driver was safely rescued. Additionally, at least two vehicles caught fire, and some fire trucks, unable to access the elevated section of I-55, sprayed water from the ground. Social media posts and videos depicted areas with nearly zero visibility, including an image of a significant vehicle fire.
Two dead, I-55 closed in both directions after multiple wrecks, vehicle fire
: Lance Scott pic.twitter.com/JJbDTxr7o5
— WWL-TV (@WWLTV) October 23, 2023
Horrible situation on I-55 with multiple vehicles on fire, at least one death and emergency responders on the scene. I-10 closed in both directions at the Bonne Carre Spillway to enable first responders to get to the scene. pic.twitter.com/buppTR292l
— WWL-TV (@WWLTV) October 23, 2023
I55 south bound south of manchac. Stay away pic.twitter.com/aByuvzUsxg
— NorthShore Gladiators (@NSGladiators) October 23, 2023
Dozens of cars were reportedly involved in a fiery pile-up on I-55 Monday morning. Photos and videos from the scene showed trucks on top of other trucks. There was no immediate word on injuries. More details here: https://t.co/fQf7CYMO2m pic.twitter.com/AhGzLndAS9
— WBRZ News (@WBRZ) October 23, 2023
Chilling video shows the aftermath of this morning’s 100 car pile-up on I-55. We’ll hear from eyewitnesses at 4, 5 and 6 on @wdsu. pic.twitter.com/LL3ypGkX58
— Morgan Lentes (@WDSUMorgan) October 23, 2023
Once the #superfog cleared the extent of the #pileup on I-55 west of New Orleans could be captured by air …
The extent of the damage is massive, with car fires and cars off the bridge. Sadly, we are hearing of fatalities as a result of the pileup. pic.twitter.com/hJOT5VtzRV
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) October 23, 2023
The remarkably low visibility was attributed to a meteorological phenomenon known as Super Fog, which results from a combination of smoke and fog, leading to visibility levels at or below 10 feet.
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