2022 — July 15, dust storm, 21-vehicle pileup, I-90 near Hardin, Big Horn County, MT– 6

–6 CNN. “Dust storm causes a 21-vehicle pileup in Montana, killing six.” KESQ.com, 7-16-2022.
–6 Washington Post. “At least 6 killed as dust storm triggers massive pileup in Montana.” 7-16-2022.

Narrative Information

July 16: “A dust storm caused a 21-vehicle pileup on Interstate 90 in Big Horn County, Montana, on Friday evening, resulting in the deaths of six people, according to the Montana Highway Patrol. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said first responders were investigating the accident west of Hardin and that more information will be released when available. Knudsen oversees the highway patrol….” (CNN (Jamiel Lynch, Rebekah Riess, Sara Smart). “Dust storm causes a 21-vehicle pileup in Montana, killing six.” KESQ.com, 7-16-2022.)

July 16: “At least six people, including two children, were killed Friday when a dust storm with winds around 60 mph hit a Montana highway, causing a massive pileup of vehicles, according to authorities. The crash on Interstate 90 outside Hardin, Mont., involved 21 vehicles, including six semi-trucks, Sgt. Jay Nelson, a spokesman for the Montana Highway Patrol, told the Associated Press. Ambulances were dispatched from far away as Billings, Mont., about 50 miles away.

“Video posted to social media shows vehicles scattered across the interstate, including 18-wheelers that appeared to have crashed into vehicles or veered into the median.

“Authorities think a “quick-arising dust storm” ultimately caused the pileup. ‘It appears as though there was heavy winds, causing a dust storm with zero visibility,’ Nelson said….

“The crashes started around 4:50 p.m. local time Friday, according to an incident map for the Montana Department of Transportation. Traffic was shut down for hours on eastbound I-90, and the westbound side of the interstate was reduced to one lane….” (Washington Post. “At least 6 killed as dust storm triggers massive pileup in Montana.” 7-16-2022.)

Sources

CNN (Jamiel Lynch, Rebekah Riess, Sara Smart). “Dust storm causes a 21-vehicle pileup in Montana, killing six.” KESQ.com, 7-16-2022. Accessed 7-17-2022 at: https://kesq.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2022/07/16/dust-storm-causes-a-21-vehicle-pileup-in-montana-killing-six-2/

Washington Post (Timothy Bella). “At least 6 killed as dust storm triggers massive pileup in Montana.” 7-16-2022. Accessed 7-17-2022 at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/07/16/montana-dust-storm-highway-pileup-dead/