At least one person was killed in a series of crashes on an Ohio highway Friday, a law enforcement official said, and “weather is considered to be a factor.”
Multiple people were also hurt in the crashes on the Ohio Turnpike (Interstate 80), said Sgt. Ryan E. Purpura of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Around 50 vehicles were involved.
The crashes came as a severe winter weather system passes through the state, and Purpura said the inclement conditions are believed to have played a part.
Troopers from Purpura’s department are helping people who were involved in the crashes, which occurred in the eastbound lanes between state Route 53 and state Route 4 in the Groton Township of Erie County.
“Buses are being utilized to take people from their vehicles to a local facility so they can stay warm,” Purpura said in a statement to CNN.
The Ohio Turnpike is currently closed in both directions. Authorities are diverting eastbound traffic at exit 91 and diverting westbound traffic at exit 118, Purpura said.
Erie County is halfway between Toledo and Cleveland along Lake Erie.
Sopurce: Cable News Network
