Rachael Perry has an update on how many people were hurt in the crash and spoke to two people who said they are thankful to be okay.
UPDATE (WKOW) – The Wisconsin State Patrol reports 85 vehicles were involved in a crash that closed I-39/90 between Beloit and Janesville for more than eight hours.
According to the State Patrol, 21 people were injured in the multi-vehicle accident.
UPDATE (WKOW) – All lanes of I-39/90 near Beloit have reopened after a large pileup earlier this afternoon.
The southbound lanes reopened around 8 p.m. Friday. About 45 minutes later, the northbound lane was reopened.
BELOIT (WKOW) — All lanes of I-39/90 are closed near Beloit due to a crash Friday afternoon, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
The crash happened around 12:30 pm near mile marker 181, and the Wisconsin State Patrol responded. The State Patrol told 27 News “up to 50 cars were involved.”
The Rock County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook asked drivers to avoid the area. The office said personnel are “currently handling multiple multi-vehicle crashes and subsequent pileups.”
The State Patrol said they believe snow, ice and whiteout conditions were factors in the initial crash.
Beloit Memorial Hospital officials told 27 News’ Rockford affiliate that 27 patients from the crash are in treatment. The injuries reported to the hospital were headaches, neck and shoulder pain. No further information about the patient’s injuries or condition was immediately available.
The hospital said they would not accept any more patients. Medical staff were told that all patients had recovered from the scene.
The first patient arrived around 1:40 pm, an hour after the accident happened.
The stretch of I-39/90 is closed from County Road S to WIS 11 West/Avalon Road, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. This is about a seven-mile-long closure.
This video from Carter Wilson in Janesville shows the line of semis involved in an accident that injured one person on I-39 near Beloit and caught fire near one of the trucks.
For detours, drivers traveling north should get off at exit 183 and then go south to HWY BT, west to HWY G, north to HWY 11 and then east again to I-39/90.
For southbound drivers, Exit at HWY 11, go west to HWY G, South to HWY S and then north again to I-39/90.
The state patrol and other law enforcement agencies are assisting the car involved, investigating the crash and working to clear the road.
Don Driscoll, with Beloit Transit, confirmed to 27 News that they sent a bus to assist in the accident. 27 News’ Rockford affiliate reports 21 people took a bus to Beloit Memorial Hospital for shelter from the cold. No one on the bus was injured in the accident.
WisDOT’s 511 camera shows severe backups.
Video courtesy of Carter Wilson
This is a developing story that will be updated.
