A massive and chaotic 45-car pileup slammed Interstate 70 near Terre Haute after a sudden winter whiteout caught drivers completely off guard. The fast-moving snow squall hit with almost no warning, instantly transforming the highway into a sheet of black ice.
Within seconds, visibility dropped to near zero. Drivers slammed on their brakes, but it was too late — vehicles began sliding uncontrollably across the interstate. What started as a few cars losing traction quickly escalated into a chain-reaction crash stretching nearly half a mile.
Multiple semi-trucks jackknifed, blocking lanes and amplifying the destruction. Passenger cars were pinned between trailers, pushed off the roadway, and scattered across the icy pavement. Eyewitnesses described the scene as “absolute chaos” and “like something out of a movie.”
Despite the shocking scale of the wreckage, authorities have confirmed an extraordinary outcome: no fatalities. Emergency responders say that given the violence of the collisions, the lack of loss of life is nothing short of a miracle.
State troopers, firefighters, and EMS teams rushed to the scene, navigating treacherous conditions to reach trapped and injured drivers. First responders moved from vehicle to vehicle, battling the cold and wind to check on victims and assess the extent of injuries.
I-70 was immediately shut down in both directions, with traffic backed up for miles as tow trucks, plows, and emergency crews worked to clear the mangled vehicles. Officials say the cleanup could take hours, if not longer, before the road becomes safe for travel again.
The pileup comes as Indiana’s winter storm continues smashing road systems statewide. Dangerous bursts of snow, sudden whiteouts, and flash-freezing temperatures have caught many drivers by surprise, creating treacherous conditions on highways and rural roads alike.
Authorities are warning Hoosiers that more snow squalls are possible throughout the day and into the evening. Drivers are being urged to stay home unless absolutely necessary, and to expect rapidly deteriorating road conditions with little to no warning.
With this massive pileup now added to a growing list of weather-related crashes, officials are pleading with the public to slow down, keep emergency kits in their vehicles, and monitor weather alerts closely. Winter arrived hard in Indiana — and it’s not finished yet.
