(ConservativeJournal.org) – As of Tuesday, October 24, the number of casualties resulting from a series of pileups on a Louisiana interstate has risen to eight fatalities and 63 individuals injured.
According to authorities, the chaotic pileup involving over 160 vehicles occurred following a combination of factors, including dense fog and a super fog generated by marsh-fire smoke.
Lance Scott, one of the many drivers completely trapped in the wreckage on Interstate 55 located west of New Orleans, recounted his harrowing experience. The 51-year-old was driving his daughter to the airport on a Monday morning when the fog abruptly thickened, resembling a “steep ski slope”. He reacted promptly, slamming on his brakes to narrowly evade the cars ahead of him, all while hearing “horrendous” clanking of metal coming from behind.
As time passed, he said the sounds of clashing metal grew fainter, suggesting that the collisions were accumulating. Realizing that numerous layers of collisions had occurred, Scott turned to his 24-year-old daughter, who works as an intensive care unit nurse, and instructed her to assist those in need.
Amidst the backdrop of crackling flames from the wreckage, the dense fog eventually lifted, revealing the full extent of the pileup. Scott, alongside his daughter, aided people trapped in their vehicles, some with evident broken collarbones. In one case, they had to wait for first responders to use the Jaws of Life to free an individual.
Louisiana State Police reported an estimated 168 vehicles involved in the chain of crashes. By Tuesday evening, the death toll had risen to eight, with the number of reported injuries surging, doubling the initial count, as conveyed in a news release from the Louisiana State Police. Among the injured, at least 63 individuals suffered a wounds ranging from minor to critical. Others sought medical assistance independently, further underlining the severity of the accident.
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