Thick Fog & Slick Roadways Create Chaos On I-90 Near Ritzville

Dense fog caused a logjam of accidents on several major highways in the Columbia Basin on Tuesday morning.

The Washington State Patrol says the first crash - a single-vehicle rollover involving a pickup truck, was reported at around 6:15 a.m. on Interstate-90 near Ritzville.

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Several other accidents followed within a five-mile stretch of the same area of I-90 over the next hour, including a two-vehicle collision; a four-vehicle crash; and a 12-car pileup.

The subsequent involved at numerous semi trucks and caused multiple injuries, including to at least one elderly person.

The bevy of accidents prompted troopers to close I-90 for several hours until the wrecks could be cleared and conditions improved.

In addition to the chaos created by the fog on the interstate, there were also crashes  reported on several other highways in Adams and Lincoln Counties, including U.S. Highway 395 near Ritzville..

The State Patrol says along with visibility issues, the fog also created very slick road conditions which led to over a dozen spinouts and vehicles sliding off the roadway.