According to officials, a huge 30-vehicle pileup on the Yellowstone River bridge in Billings, Montana on Saturday, seriously injured two people.
People jumped off the bridge during the accident to avoid hitting the car Montana Highway Patrol tweeted. Both were hospitalized but are expected to recover. Minor injuries also occurred, but no fatalities occurred.
“I would say this is the biggest pileup, and winter-time accident, that I have seen in my nearly 20 years with the fire department,” Billings Fire Chief Jason Lyon told the Billings Gazette.
Montana Department of Justice communications director Kyle Nerrison told NBC News that the cause of the multi-vehicle crash was “a state of whiteout / zero visibility, brought on by the sudden Eye Icy Squad.”
The incident occurred on westbound I-90, and the lane was closed until about 4:30 a.m. while troopers were examined, Nerison said.
One driver, Bella Contraraj, told Billings Gazette that when he stopped the vehicles ahead of him, he slammed her on the brakes. Another oncoming semi-truck soon hit her car and pinned her and left the side of the bridge. A nearby driver helped her avoid opening the door, she said.
“It was like bumper cars,” Contraraj said.
The National Weather Service in Billings issued a statement on Saturday about heavy snowfall in the area, warning drivers that I-90 would be affected and that road conditions and lack of visibility would be most likely.
