A "super fog" blanketed Louisiana and triggered a massive multi-car pileup on Interstate 55 in the vicinity of New Orleans. Police reported that this extreme fog drastically reduced visibility and was responsible for the accident.
The collision, involving a staggering 158 vehicles, took place on a Monday morning, primarily due to the dense fog conditions as indicated by the Louisiana State Police. The incident resulted in the closure of a significant portion of Interstate 55, a 24-mile-long highway traversing Lake Pontchartrain near New Orleans, and authorities anticipate it will remain closed "for the foreseeable future."
In the aftermath of the crash, Interstate 10 and Interstate 310 were also shut down by law enforcement. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards issued a statement on Monday, confirming the tragic accident. The authorities confirmed seven fatalities, while more than 25 individuals were transported to nearby hospitals with injuries ranging from critical to minor, as reported by the Louisiana State Police.
Police cautioned that additional fatalities may be discovered as the crash scene is meticulously cleared. For several hours following the incident, emergency response teams diligently worked to remove debris from both the northbound and southbound lanes. Tragically, a section of the crash site on I-55 caught fire soon after the initial collision.
The "super fog" phenomenon was caused by the combination of smoke from marsh fires burning in the area and the formation of dense fog early on that Monday morning, resulting in dangerously low visibility. In certain locations, visibility was virtually nonexistent, leading to treacherous driving conditions. According to the National Weather Service, super fogs typically materialize when condensed water vapor mixes with smoke and moisture emitted from smoldering damp organic materials such as brush, leaves, and trees. This can reduce visibility to less than 10 feet, according to the NWS.
This weather pattern had been recurring in the region for several mornings, with the location of the densest fog and most perilous conditions varying from day to day, according to forecasts. Super fogs can be exceptionally hazardous when they develop in close proximity to or directly over highways. The localized nature of this weather phenomenon means that visibility conditions can deteriorate rapidly over very short distances. This creates a hazardous scenario, with sudden reductions in visibility and vehicles traveling at high speeds on the highway.
The severely limited visibility impairs a driver's ability to respond effectively to changing conditions on the roadway, compounding the danger of these situations.