Winter weather wreaking havoc on area travelers

Blowing and drifting snow and slippery conditions have been wreaking havoc on area roadways, reducing visibility in rural areas to zero. Numerous multi-vehicle crashes occurred on Interstate 80. The westbound lane of I-80 was reportedly closed west of Peru due to a multiple vehicle crash, apparently at the bridges just east of the Ladd exit. Up to 30 vehicles, at least nine of them semis, may have been involved with many sustaining serious damage. Witnesses reported seeing semis in the median and ditch and up to ten ambulances on the scene. No word yet on injuries. Motorists are advised to use extreme caution, especially on interstates, as preliminary observations indicate icing may have been a factor in this multi-vehicle accident.

In addition, an accident in the eastbound lane of I-80 at Utica halted traffic for a while before it was cleaned up and the road re-opened.

Also two semis were holding up westbound traffic at milepost 52 west of Princeton. One eyewitness told WZOE News that he had been sitting in stopped traffic for at least two hours.

A number of crashes have also been reported on Interstate 39.

In addition, there are numerous cars and semis in the ditches throughout the area.