A massive pileup involving more than two dozen cars and big-rigs left at least 11 people injured along Interstate 44 Saturday afternoon, officials said.
The first crash involved a Greyhound bus with 55 passengers and tractor-trailer in Rolla, but multiple crashes piled on minutes later making the road impassable, Sgt. Cody Fulkerson of the Missouri Highway Patrol told Buzzfeed News.
Snow has made road conditions slippery, and more snow was expected to fall throughout the evening.
"The road conditions are deplorable," Fulkerson said. "We're just trying to get people to stay home."
This driver on the other side of the crashes counted 20 crashed vehicles while trying to get through.
The exact number of vehicles involved was not immediately clear, but Missouri Highway Patrol officials estimated about 30 vehicles were damaged in the crashes.
Eleven passengers aboard the Greyhound bus suffered minor to moderate injuries, Fulkerson said. They were taken to nearby hospitals to be treated.
The pileup occurred along the westbound lanes of the highway near mile-marker 188, Fulkerson said.
Crews were out trying to clear up the area, but a hazardous material spill involving one of the vehicles in the pileup were expected to keep lanes blocked off for about 24 hours.
The spill was described as minor, but weather conditions made it difficult to immediately clean it up, Fulkerson said.
Eastbound lanes on the interstate were cleared by late Saturday, but the Missouri Highway Patrol was working on a detour for drivers headed westbound on the interstate.
It was not clear how long it would take to clear up the pileup.