Blinding sun on a snowy highway was the cause behind a chain reaction crash Tuesday morning in Maine that involved about 30 vehicles.
At least one serious injury was reported, and the victim was taken to a hospital by a medical helicopter.
According to Maine State Police, the pileup happened on I-95 near Bangor, Maine, around 7:45 a.m. All northbound lanes are expected to be closed for much of Tuesday, with drivers urged to find alternate routes.
Hundreds of motorists are reported to be stranded in the collision’s aftermath. Police said air rescue units and multiple wreckers have been dispatched, and state troopers are on the scene.
There were no fatalities. Besides the helicopter, multiple ambulances were dispatched to the crash site, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
It was initially reported that up to 60 vehicles were involved, but the figure was revised downward, McCausland said.
Social media posts from local reporters showed snow and icy conditions on the highway.
According to the National Weather Service, weather around Bangor was clear but cold Tuesday morning, with temperatures hovering around 20 degrees F. There had been some slight snow that ended at midnight, hours before the pileup, the National Weather Service said.
In February 2015, more than 100 vehicles were involved in a pileup on I-95 between Newport and Bangor, according to the Bangor Daily News. More than 17 people were injured in that crash, believed to be the largest pileup to ever happen on a Maine road.
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