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Amultiple-vehicle collision (colloquially known as apileup ormulti-car collision),[1] is a roadtraffic collision involving manyvehicles. Generally occurring on high-capacity and high-speed routes such asfreeways, they are one of the deadliest forms of traffic collisions. The most disastrous pileups have involved more than a hundred vehicles.
A chain collision can be defined as "an accident involving three or more vehicles in which one vehicle has only rear impact damage (i.e., the "lead" vehicle); one vehicle has only frontal damage; and all other vehicles have frontal and rear impact damage (these are the "middle" vehicles)".[2]
In Great Britain, statistics are available on the number of vehicles involved in crashes.
In America, statistics are available from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).[4]
 | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found onPhabricator and onMediaWiki.org. |
Pile-ups generally occur in low-visibility conditions as drivers on freeways are following too closely andunable to adjust to road conditions.
Chain-reaction crashes can also occur in conditions of good visibility, whenblack ice or otherroad hazards are encountered unexpectedly as drivers round a curve or crest a hill.[1]
Multiple vehicle collisions can also occur when a third vehicle is too close to an initial collision to avoid hitting one or both of the vehicles. Due to the high traffic speeds on the road, if one car develops a problem and suddenly halts, ones behind it cannot stop in time and may hit it. Considering that these roads often have high traffic volumes, more cars are forced into braking and skidding, darting into other lanes and in front of other traffic; more vehicles become involved, creating achain reaction effect.
Determining the cause of such collisions is difficult forinvestigators and it is often impossible to tell ifnegligence caused the crash. In spite of their frequency, little formal research has been done in the United States regarding their causes.[6]
Multiple-vehicle collisions are particularly deadly as the mass of crumpled vehicles makes escape for survivors difficult. Even if survivors are able to exit their vehicles, other cars may strike them. Individual vehicles in a multiple-vehicle collision are often hit multiple times at high speed, increasing the risk of injury to passengers who may have survived the first impact with the benefit of now-discharged protectiveairbags. Collisions after the initial collision may occur from the side of the vehicle, where the passenger compartment is more vulnerable.
A fire in one part of the collision can quickly spread via spilledgasoline and cover the entire crash area. Multiple-vehicle collisions can also overwhelm localemergency services making speedy rescues more difficult. If the collision takes place in a remote area, getting medical help to the scene can be difficult.
The destruction and intense heat of fires can also damage roadways, particularly by melting and burning theasphalt orspalling concrete surfaces. Thestructural steel of bridges andoverpasses can also be weakened by the heat. A fiery pileup inside atunnel is the most serious, as there is little means to escape the poisonous fumes and the confined heat may damage structural supports.
The large scale of these collisions can close highway routes for several days, or even longer if highway support structures are damaged.
ANHTSA report suggests that a vehicle fit with acenter high-mounted stop lamps has 23.7% less risk to be involved as a lead vehicle in a chain collision while it has 16.0% less risk to be involved as a middle vehicle in such a chain collision.[2]
In the French ASFA motorway network, out of all vehicle crashes with injuries, single vehicle crashes make up 42% of the total, dual vehicle crashes make up 41%, and crashes involving three or more vehicles make up 17%.[7]
On Korean expressways, chain crashes represent 10.7% of crashes with injuries involving truck drivers. On Korean rural roads, chain crashes represent 0.6% of crashes with injuries involving truck drivers.[8]
| Date | Location | Killed | Injured | Vehicles | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 October 1965 | United States (Greater Los Angeles area,California) | 0 | 28 | 100+ | A fog bank settled overSanta Ana Freeway and caused a chain reaction collision involving more than 100 cars in both directions. The crash caused 28 injuries. Two more separate chain collisions involving an additional 50 cars (also attributed to fog) occurred onHarbor Freeway that same day.[9] |
| 29 November 1971 | United Kingdom (Luton,England) | 7 | 42 | 70 | Due to fog, there was a pileup on the M1 just north of the A505 junction nearLuton, United Kingdom. Fog warning lights, switched on at the advice of motorway patrols, were not active at the time of the pileup. 26 miles of the M1 motorway were closed for several hours in both directions.[10] |
| 24 October 1973 | United States (Secaucus, New Jersey) | 9 | 40+ | 65 | The heavy fog created a rapid reduction in visibility along the toll plaza stretch of theNew Jersey Turnpike nearSecaucus along the bank of theHackensack River. Semi-trucks, cars, and even a coach bus were involved in the crashes. Smoke from a nearby fire also contributed to the low visibility. Local police andNew Jersey State Police helped out in the search and rescue efforts.[11] |
| 7 April 1982 | United States (Berkeley Hills, California) | 7 | 2 | 5+ | An accident involving a gasolinetanker truck in the third (then-northernmost) bore set off theCaldecott Tunnel fire.[12] The accident caused major damage and the bore was closed to traffic for several months while repairs were made, with traffic temporarily reverting to the pre-third-bore configuration. During the fire, the tunnel acted as a natural chimney, venting the smoke, flames, and heat upward the eastern entrance to the tunnel. The accident and fire killed seven people, most of whom were overcome bytoxic smoke. The fire occurred shortly after midnight when there were few cars in the tunnel; had it occurred during normal commute hours, hundreds could have died. |
| 31 July 1982 | France (Beaune,Côte-d'Or) | 53 | 4 | TheBeaune coach crash in France, Europe, is considered the most fatal multiple vehicle road collision in France. 53 people died, including 46 children (44 on the coach and 2 in a car).[13] Legal consequences include the following: maximumspeed limit for coaches reduced, the speed limit for all vehicles in rainy conditions reduced to 110 km/h (68 mph) onmotorways and 80 km/h (50 mph) on other roads;[14] transporting groups of children forbidden during the busy weekends of late July and early August; and all heavy vehicles (such asHGVs and coaches) must be equipped with a mechanical speed-limitation device, and it is strictly forbidden for the user to tamper with or modify this device in any way.[15] | |
| 12 March 1990 | United States (Green Bay, Wisconsin) | 3 | 30 | 52 | Heavy fog led to a fiery crash involving 52 vehicles led to three deaths and more than 30 injuries on theInterstate 43 inGreen Bay, Wisconsin, United States, on theTower Drive Bridge over theFox River. A fog warning system was immediately installed, and bridge lighting was installed in the mid-2000s after more fog-related issues. |
| 11 December 1990 | United States (Calhoun, Tennessee) | 12 | 42 | 99 | Heavy fog caused by the neighboring Bowater paper mill led to a fiery crash involving 99 vehicles, leaving 12 dead and 42 injured onInterstate 75 inCalhoun, Tennessee, betweenChattanooga andKnoxville near theHiwassee River. The Bowater paper mill paid out more than $10M in settlements. A fog warning system has since been installed, and thehighway patrol enforces speed limits aggressively.[16] |
| 13 March 1991 | United Kingdom (Hungerford, England) | 10 | 25 | 51 | Referred to as the1991 M4 motorway crash; heavy fog and a van driver either falling asleep or swerving to miss a pigeon in the outside lane led to a pileup and fiery crash involving 51 vehicles, leading to 10 deaths on theM4 inHungerford, Berkshire, United Kingdom, betweenMembury andHungerford.[17] |
| 29 November 1991 | United States (Coalinga, California) | 17 | 114 | 104 | A dust storm led to a pileup onInterstate 5 inCoalinga, California, involving 104 vehicles, leading to 17 deaths and 114 injuries.[18][19] |
| 22 April 1992 | United States (Shenandoah Valley,Virginia) | 2 | 40 | 60 | Fog led to a pileup onInterstate 64 inVirginia near Afton Mountain, involving 60 vehicles, leaving two dead and 40 injured.[20][21] |
| 10 November 1993 | France (Mirambeau, Charente-Maritime). | 15 | 53 | 57 | On theA10 autoroute inMirambeau, France, a 57-vehicle pile-up killed 15. TheOrsec-Novi plan was raised. |
| 2 December 1994 | United States (San Antonio,Texas) | 0 | 67 | 127 | Blinding glare and rain-slicked roads caused a 127-vehicle pileup onInterstate 35 inSan Antonio, Texas, leading to 67 injuries.[22] |
| 20 March 1995 | United States (Mobile, Alabama) | 1 | 90 | 200 | Fog caused an accident onInterstate 10 inMobile, Alabama, United States, involving 200 vehicles, leading to one death and 90 injuries.[23] |
| 27 February 1996 | Belgium (Nazareth) | 10 | 80 | 200 | Fog caused an accident onE17 motorway nearNazareth, Belgium.[24] |
| 10 March 1997 | United Kingdom (Bromsgrove, England) | 3 | 60 | 160 | Referred to as the1997 M42 motorway crash: fog caused a crash in the United Kingdom, involving 160 vehicles, leading to three deaths and 60 injuries.[25][26] |
| 31 December 1998 | United States (Grayling, Michigan) | 1 | 39 | 114 | On a snow-slicked section of N/B Interstate-75 in centralMichigan, just north of Grayling, 114 cars crashed during whiteout conditions,[27] killing one and injuring 39.[28] |
| 3 September 1999 | Canada (Essex County, Ontario) | 8 | 45 | 87 | Densefog andtailgating causes an 87-vehicle pile-up, killing 8, injuring 45 more onHighway 401 inEssex County, Ontario, Canada, just east ofWindsor.[29][30] |
| 22 November 1999 | United States (Golden, Colorado) | 2 | 29 | 83 | OnInterstate 70 inGolden, Colorado, United States, a car spun out in the westbound lanes in heavy snow and fog and was then hit by other vehicles as it attempted to resume westbound travel.[31] |
| 5 November 2000 | Nigeria (Ifẹ) | 96–200 | 115 | InIfe, Nigeria, a tanker truck crashed into a traffic jam and exploded. The death toll is disputed, as 96 bodies were recovered in the crash, but some believe the true death toll to be as high as 200. | |
| 22 February 2001 | United States (Stafford County, Virginia) | 1 | dozens | 196 | Asnowstorm whiteout caused an accident onInterstate 95 inStafford County, Virginia, United States, involving 116 vehicles plus two others nearby totaling 80 more.[32] |
| 14 March 2002 | United States (Catoosa County, Georgia) | 4 | 39 | 125 | Sudden fog caused a pileup on Interstate 75 inCatoosa County, Georgia, United States, involving 125 vehicles and killing four people.[33] |
| 11 October 2002 | United States (Sheboygan County, Wisconsin) | 10 | 36 | 50 | Dense fog caused a collision onInterstate 43 inSheboygan County, Wisconsin, just north of the Ozaukee-Sheboygan County line, involving 50 vehicles. It is considered the worst multiple-vehicle collision in Wisconsin history.[34] |
| 3 November 2002 | United States (Los Angeles County,California) | 0 | 41 | 216 | Dense fog caused an accident onInterstate 710 inLos Angeles County,California, United States involving around 200 vehicles.[35] |
| 5 November 2002 | France (Coulombiers, Vienne) | 10 | 39 | 58 | On theA10 autoroute,Coulombiers, two HGV drivers, one British and one Russian, did not comply with speed regulations, going up to 140 km/h when speed was limited to 50 km/h due to fog;[36] theOrsec-Novi plan was raised. |
| 5 February 2003 | Poland (Swarzędz,Greater Poland Voivodeship) | 0 | 31 | 100+ | Densefog and excessive speed[37] caused a pileup on the thennational road 2 between the town ofSwarzędz and village ofPaczkowo,Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, involving over 100 vehicles,[38] leaving 31 people injured. |
| 7 February 2003 | United States (Berrien County, Michigan) | 1 | 47 | 80 | Lake-effect snow caused a pileup onInterstate 94 inBerrien County, Michigan, involving 80 vehicles (initially reported as 75).[39][40] |
| 23 May 2003 | United States (Garrett County, Maryland) | 2 | 64 | 90 | Heavy fog caused a crash near theInterstate 68 cut onBig Savage Mountain inGarrett County, Maryland, involving approximately 90 vehicles.[41] |
| 6 January 2004 | United States (Centre County,Pennsylvania) | 6 | 17 | 50 | Due to poor visibility during a white out snow squall, onInterstate 80 inCentre County,Pennsylvania, an accident involving around 50 vehicles left six dead and 17 injured.[42] |
| 12 January 2005 | United States (Ingham County,Michigan) | 2 | 35 | 200 | Dense fog caused a pileup onInterstate 96 inIngham County,Michigan, United States, involving around 200 vehicles, leaving two dead and 35 injured.[43][44] |
| 17 February 2006 | Canada (Embrun, Ontario) | 5 | 15 | 38 | Highway 417 inEmbrum, Ontario, approximately 38 vehicles collided due to reduced visibility and snow squall conditions, killing 5 and injuring 15. |
| 5 November 2007 | United States (Fresno, California) | 2 | dozens | 108 | Tule fog led to an accident onHighway 99 south ofFresno, California, United States, involving 108 vehicles, with two dead and dozens of injuries.[45] |
| 6 January 2008 | United States (Madison, Wisconsin) | 2 | 100 | OnI-90 nearMadison, Wisconsin, two people are killed as there was a 100-vehicle pileup.[46] | |
| 9 January 2008 | United States (Polk County, Florida) | 4 | 38 | 70 | Four people were killed and as many as 38 were injured in a major pileup onInterstate 4 in north centralFlorida involving 70 vehicles, as fog mixed with smoke from a controlled fire led to "superfog", making it almost impossible for motorists to see.[47] |
| 20 January 2008 | Canada (nearToronto,Ontario) | 100 | More than 100 vehicles crashed into each other onHighway 400 near Toronto due to bad weather conditions.[48] | ||
| 11 March 2008 | United Arab Emirates (Ghantoot,Abu Dhabi) | 3 | 277 | 60 | At 6.39 am a series of vehicle crashes occurred, involving cars,SUVs, busses, and trucks, because of heavyfog on theAbu Dhabi-Dubai highway nearGhantoot, Abu Dhabi, in theUnited Arab Emirates, leading to the worst ever crash and multi-vehicle pileup in the country's history. According to Dubai-basedGulf News andReuters, the incident killed 3 people and injured 277, involving 60 vehicles of which 25 caught fire.[49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56] |
| 20 March 2008 | Czech Republic (Vysočina Region) | 0 | 33 | 231 | 231 vehicles crashed athighway D1 inVysočina Region of theCzech Republic, injuring about 30 people, three of them seriously. Nobody was killed.[57][58][59][60][61][62][63] |
| 25 March 2008 | Austria (betweenVienna andSalzburg) | 1 | 6 | 60 | A near 60 vehicle pile-up in heavy snow onAustria's main east–west highway causes one death with six injuries.[64] |
| 11 January 2009 | United States (Derry, New Hampshire) | 50+ | There was a pileup onI-93 involving "more than 50 cars..." inDerry, New Hampshire.[65] | ||
| 19 July 2009 | Germany (Braunschweig,Lower Saxony) | 66 | 259 | Dozens of people were injured, 10 critically, when 259 vehicles were involved in a series of related pile-ups due to heavy rain on the German AutobahnA2 nearBraunschweig inLower Saxony.[66] | |
| 13 December 2009 | United States (Shelton, Connecticut) | 52 | 56 | 56 cars involved in a pile-up onRoute 110 inShelton, Connecticut, due tofreezing rain andblack ice resulted in 46 injuries and six hospitalizations, but no deaths or life-threatening injuries.[67] | |
| 23 December 2009 | United Kingdom (Multiple locations on theM27 motorway;Hampshire, England) | 36 | 43 | Severe black ice, freezing fog, and deep snow led to a pileup on theM27 motorway westbound at Rownhams services involving 20 vehicles, and another pileup eastbound between J7 forHedge End andBotley and J8 forBursledon andNetley involving 23 vehicles. | |
| 10 February 2010 | United States (Williamsburg, Virginia) | 7 | 50 | NearWilliamsburg, Virginia, whiteout conditions around 9:00 am led to a fifty-carpileup on a stretch of westboundI-64. The collision took hours to clear, and seven people suffered minor injuries requiring hospitalization.[68] | |
| 14 February 2010 | United States (Multiple locations in theKansas City Metropolitan Area) | 13 | 140 | Whiteout conditions caused several pileups involving 140[69] vehicles, including twoGreyhound buses,[70] in theKansas City area. The largest pileup alongI-70 andK-7 near the city ofBonner Springs, Kansas, involved 40 vehicles.[69][70][71] No fatalities or critical injuries were reported. The collision closed I-70 for several hours so emergency workers and crews could clean up the area. The same day, also in the Kansas City metro area, a separate pileup also caused by whiteout conditions involving at least 20 vehicles closed parts ofI-35 near 87th Street.[70] No fatalities or serious injuries were reported there as well.[70] The collisions sent 13 people to area hospitals.[71] | |
| 16 November 2010 | United States (Carroll County, Virginia) | 2 | 16 | 75 | Heaving fog resulting in zero visibility led to crashes onInterstate 77 inCarroll County, Virginia, in both the northbound and southbound lanes between mile markers 4 & 7 in the area ofFancy Gap, with a total of 75 vehicles involved.[72] |
| 8 April 2011 | Germany (Rostock) | 10 | 74 | 80+ | A sandstorm caused an 80-car pileup onAutobahn 19 nearRostock, Germany, in both directions, leading to 10 dead and 74 injured.[73][74] |
| 15 September 2011 | Brazil (São Paulo) | 1 | 49 | 300 | Heavy fog led to a collision onRodovia dos Imigrantes atSão Paulo, Brazil, involving around 300 vehicles, leading to several injuries and one person dead.[75] |
| 4 November 2011 | United Kingdom (Taunton, England) | 7 | 51 | 34 | Dense fog caused a multiple-vehicle collision occurred on theM5 motorway near Taunton, Somerset, inSouth West England. The crash involved dozens of cars and articulated lorries; a large fireball ensued. It was concluded that the cause of the crash was dense fog. |
| 1 December 2011 | United States (Sumner County, Tennessee) | 1 | 16–18 | 176 | "Heavy, heavy fog" led to three separate chain-reaction crashes onTennessee State Route 386 (Vietnam Veterans Boulevard) and Saundersville Road nearHendersonville inSumner County, Tennessee, United States, north ofNashville. It involved 176 vehicles, leading to one death and 16–18 injuries. A fog advisory was not in effect for the area at the time of the crashes.[76][77][78][79] |
| 3 December 2011 | Turkey (Büyükçekmece, nearIstanbul) | 1 | 14 | 134 | Heavy fog and a slippery road led to an accident on theIstanbulTrans European Motorway involving 134 cars with one dead and 14 injured.[80] |
| 5 December 2011 | Japan (Shimonoseki,Yamaguchi Prefecture) | 0 | 10 | 14 | A slippery road caused a pileup in the Chugoku expressway inShimonoseki, Japan, and injured 10 people. It is believed to be one of the most expensive pileups, having 8Ferraris, 3Mercedes-Benz, aLamborghini, and 2Toyota Prius being involved in the crash.[81] |
| 29 December 2011 | United States (New Orleans, Louisiana) | 2 | 59 | 40 | Heavy fog and smoke from a nearby ongoing marsh fire in New Orleans East led to a pileup onI-10 inNew Orleans, Louisiana, with about 40 vehicles involved and at least 50 injuries (22 serious).[82] |
| 29 January 2012 | United States (Gainesville, Florida) | 11 | 18 | 16 | A combination of fire smoke and fog ("superfog") blinded drivers and resulted in a pileup onInterstate 75 inGainesville, Florida. |
| 3 February 2012 | Finland (Helsinki) | 0 | 40+ | 100+ | OnEuropean route E75 inHelsinki,Finland, heavy snow and icy road conditions caused accidents with more than 100 cars involved and more than 40 injured (1 critically).[83][84] |
| 5 October 2012 | United States (betweenSarasota County andManatee County,Florida) | 0 | 52 | 47 | OnInterstate I-75 Southbound on the University Blvd. overpass on the Sarasota/Manatee County line,Florida, white-out rain led to 12 separate crashes involving 47 vehicles.[85] |
| 22 November 2012 | United States (Jefferson County,Texas) | 2 | 100 | 100+ | OnInterstate I-10,Jefferson County,Texas, a 150-vehicle pileup in both directions due to fog leaves 2 dead, 100 hurt.[86] |
| 15 January 2013 | Sweden (Helsingborg,Scania) | 1 | 46 | 80 | On theEuropean route E4 Klippan on Tranarp bridge nearHelsingborg,southwesternSweden, one person died and more than 40 were injured after up to 80 vehicles crashed into one another due to dense fog and slippery road conditions.[87][88] |
| 21 January 2013 | United States (Cincinnati,Ohio) | 1 | 27 | 103 | OnInterstate 275 inCincinnati,Ohio, flash snowburst caused a large pileup with many injuries. A 12-year-old girl was killed.[89][90][91] |
| 21 January 2013 | United States (Middletown,Ohio) | 0 | 9 | 52 | OnInterstate 75 inMiddletown, Ohio, flash snowburst caused a large pileup. Same storm as the Cincinnati 103-vehicle collision that killed a 12-year-old girl.[92] |
| 25 January 2013 | Canada (Oshawa,Ontario) | 0 | 5 | 80 | 80-vehicle pileup occurred onHighway 401 east ofOshawa, Ontario, Canada.[93] |
| 31 January 2013 | United States (Detroit,Michigan) | 3 | 20+ | 35+ | OnInterstate 75 inDetroit,Michigan, flash snowburst caused a pileup along an urbanized section of Interstate 75 in Detroit, killing a 46-year-oldAllen Park man, and two children from nearbyWindsor, Ontario.[94] |
| 31 March 2013 | United States (Carroll County, Virginia) | 3 | 25 | 95 | OnInterstate 77 inCarroll County, Virginia, approximately 95 vehicles were involved in a collision on the southbound lane of I-77 near the base of Fancy Gap Mountain nearFancy Gap, Virginia. Virginia State Police say that excessive fog could be to blame for the collision. Three people were killed.[95] |
| 5 September 2013 | United Kingdom (Kent, England) | 0 | 60 | 130+ | 60 people were injured as more than 130 vehicles were involved in a series of crashes in thick fog on the A249 Sheppey crossing inKent, UK.[96] |
| 3 December 2013 | Belgium (Zonnebeke,West Flanders) | 2 | 67 | 132 | One person was killed and 67 injured as 132 vehicles were involved in a triple chain collision in thick fog on the A19 inZonnebeke, Belgium.[97] A second person died four days later.[98] |
| 23 January 2014 | United States (LaPorte County, Indiana) | 3 | 20+ | ~46 | Lake-effect snow caused a pileup involving more than 40 vehicles onInterstate 94 inLaPorte County, Indiana.[99] |
| 14 February 2014 | United States (Philadelphia Metropolitan Area,Pennsylvania) | 0 | 30 | 100 | Up to 105 vehicles were involved in multiple collisions on the eastbound lanes of thePennsylvania Turnpike betweenWillow Grove andBensalem. One collision involved about 75 vehicles while another incident further east involved about 30 vehicles. There were a total of 30 injuries. The collisions were a result of icy conditions from awinter storm.[100] |
| 27 February 2014 | Canada (Barrie,Ontario) | 0 | 96 | OnOntario Highway 400 south ofBarrie, 96 vehicles were involved in collisions at about 9am during asnow squall, reducing visibility to "a few feet". The incident resulted in the closure of Highway 400 betweenHighway 89 and Mapleview Drive. Both lanes on that stretch of highway were closed for most of the day until early evening.[101] | |
| 1 March 2014 | United States (Denver,Colorado) | 1 | 30 | 104 | Heavy snow caused a pileup involving 104 vehicles onInterstate 25 inDenver, Colorado, United States.[102] |
| 12 March 2014 | United States (Sandusky County,Ohio) | 3 | "numerous" | 90 | Heavy snow caused two crashes involving ninety vehicles on theOhio Turnpike (Interstate 80/90) inSandusky County, Ohio, United States.[103][104] |
| 14 October 2014 | South Africa (Alberton) | 4 | 54 | 47 | A 47-vehicle pileup occurred during morning traffic on N12 Freeway nearAlberton, South Africa, heading east. Four people were confirmed dead and nine were critically injured.[105] |
| 9 January 2015 | United States (Galesburg,Michigan) | 1 | 23 | 193 | Nearly 200 vehicles, including 76 semi trucks, were involved in a pileup onInterstate 94 nearGalesburg, Michigan,[106] amidst a heavy snowstorm that brought nearly a foot of snow to the area. One of the trucks was carrying a load of fireworks, which caught fire and exploded, injuring two firefighters. The only fatality was a 57-year-old truck driver fromQuebec, Canada.[107] |
| 18 January 2015 | United States (Upper Merion,Pennsylvania) | 1 | 30 | 60 | Icy roads led to a 60-car pileup onInterstate 76 inUpper Merion, Pennsylvania. One man was killed when he got out of his car after the collision and was hit by another car. 30 more people were injured.[108][109] |
| 11 February 2015 | South Korea (Incheon) | 2 | 65 | 106 | A 106-car pileup onYeongjong Bridge inIncheon, South Korea, killed two and injured more than 65 people. The event was caught on tape from a vehicle's dashcam.[110] |
| 25 February 2015 | United States (Penobscot County, Maine) | 0 | 17 | 75 | A 75-car pileup onInterstate 95 inPenobscot County, Maine, United States, was noted as possibly Maine's largest single traffic collision.[111] |
| 30 January 2016 | Slovenia (Senožeče) | 4 | 30 | 70+ | A 55-car pileup on A1 motorway nearSenožeče, Slovenia killed five and injured more than 30.[112][113] |
| 13 February 2016 | United States (Lebanon County, Pennsylvania) | 3 | 25+ | 50 | Icy conditions caused a pileup on theI-78 Freeway inPennsylvania, resulting in the deaths of 3 people. 50 cars were involved and at least 25 people were injured.[114][115] |
| 22 February 2016 | Norway (Eidsvåg, Bergen) | 0 | 5 | 60 | Unforeseen slippery roads during morning rush hours took motorists by surprise; there were 60 cars in the pileup on E39 nearBergen, Norway.[116] |
| 13 March 2016 | United States (Alamance County, North Carolina) | 0 | 20 | 130 | At least 130 cars piled up onInterstate 85/Interstate 40 inAlamance County, North Carolina, United States. The crash is thought to be a result of slippery roads caused by thunderstorms in the area at the time.[117] |
| 22 November 2016 | China (Shanxi) | 17 | 37 | 56 | Snowy road conditions on an expressway linkingBeijing andKunming in theNorth China province ofShanxi caused a total of 56 vehicles to crash into each other, resulting in 17 deaths.[118] |
| 8 December 2016 | United States (Cleveland,Ohio) | 0 | 20 | 50 | A 50-vehicle pileup on Interstate 90 inConcord Township, Ohio on the east side ofCleveland, Ohio, at mile marker 202.3 (between OH-44 and Vrooman Road) happened as a result of overnight heavy lake-effect snow. It seems to have had 15 semi trucks and 35 cars involved.[119] |
| 5 February 2018 | United States (Ames, Iowa) | 1 | 5 | 50–70 | Icy conditions led to a pileup onInterstate 35 nearAmes, Iowa, involving at least 15 semi trucks and 35 cars. One fatality and five critically injured people were reported.[120] |
| 15 February 2019 | United States (Oak Grove, Missouri) | 1 | 0 | 47 | A 47-vehicle pileup occurred onInterstate 70 nearOak Grove, Missouri, due to icy roads and white-out conditions. One fatality was reported.[121] |
| 24 February 2019 | United States (Neenah, Wisconsin) | 1 | 71 | 131 | White-out conditions and winds in excess of 50 mph contributed to a 131 vehicle pileup onInterstate 41 nearNeenah, Wisconsin. The crash resulted in 1 dead and 71 injured.[122][123] |
| 5 March 2019 | United States (Hudson, Ohio) | 0 | 25 | ~100 | White-out conditions and icy roads caused a 90 to 100 car pileup on Route 8 northbound inHudson, Ohio.[124] |
| 23 March 2019 | United States (Grapevine, California) | 1 | 12 | 50 | With fog visibility of 100 feet, there was a pileup on the Southbound side ofInterstate 5 South ofGrapevine at Gorman School Road. A toddler passed away days later.[125] |
| 25 April 2019 | United States (Lakewood,Colorado) | 4 | 7 | 28 | A semi driver slammed into rush hour traffic, starting a pile up and massive fire that killed four people and injured seven others inLakewood, Colorado.[126] |
| 22 December 2019 | United States (Williamsburg, Virginia) | 0 | 51 | 69 | NearWilliamsburg, Virginia, 69 vehicles collided in foggy conditions onInterstate 64 on the westbound portion of Queens Creek Bridge.[127] |
| 19 February 2020 | Canada (La Prairie,Quebec) | 2 | ~70 | 200+ | White-out conditions onHighway 15 caused a pile-up involving more than 200 vehicles inLa Prairie, a suburb of the Canadian city ofMontreal.[128] |
| 1 March 2020 | United States (Wamsutter, Wyoming) | 3 | 30 | 120 | NearWamsutter, Wyoming, over 100 vehicles collided in near-zero visibility conditions while semi-trailers toppled over in high winds. Vehicles were unable to stop as there was also black ice onInterstate 80 on both sides of the highway, westbound and eastbound portions between Rawlins and Wamsutter. People report being stuck on the highway for over nine hours before emergency teams were able to clear the roadway.[129] |
| 11 February 2021 | United States (Fort Worth, Texas) | 6 | 65+ | 133 | Freezing rain resulted in 133[130] vehicles being involved in a crash onInterstate 35W nearFort Worth, Texas. It was the worst pile-up in Texas history with more than 65 people hospitalized and at least six people dead. Multiple people were trapped in their vehicles as well and had to be rescued. The scene of the crash spanned over 1.5 miles.[131] |
| 19 June 2021 | United States (Butler County, Alabama) | 10 | 18 | Rain fromTropical Storm Claudette resulted in a pile-up of 18 vehicles on theInterstate 65 inButler County, Alabama. Ten were killed, including nine children. | |
| 25 July 2021 | United States (Millard County, Utah) | 8 | >10 | 22 | A severe sandstorm resulted in a pile-up of 22 vehicles onInterstate 15 inMillard County, Utah. Eight were killed, including four children under the age of 15.[132] |
| 7 November 2021 | Mexico (betweenMexico City andPuebla) | 19 | 3 | Many | A shampoo truck smashed into cars at a toll booth on theMexican Federal Highway connectingMexico City withPuebla, causing a large fire.[133][134] |
| 5 January 2022 | United States (Monmouth County, New Jersey) | 0 | 7 | 65 | On the workweek morning of January 5, early morning rain falling with temps below freezing led to widespread black ice across the Philadelphia and New York City metro areas. InMonmouth County, New Jersey, black ice over the Route 18/36 flyovers led to 2 car pileups in both directions. 50 vehicles were involved in the second crash and 15 were involved in the first.[135] |
| 12 March 2022 | United States (Cumberland County, Pennsylvania) | 0 | 10 | 73 | There was a pileup onPennsylvania Route 581 inCumberland County, Pennsylvania, likely caused by a snow squall.[136] |
| 17 March 2022 | United States (Charleston, Missouri) | 6 | 47 | There was a pileup onInterstate 57 nearCharleston in southeasternMissouri, caused by fog[137] | |
| 28 March 2022 | United States (Minersville, Pennsylvania) | 6 | 24 | 80[138] | There was a crash onInterstate 81 nearMinersville, Pennsylvania, due to asnow squall[139] |
| 4 November 2022 | United States (Denver,Colorado) | 0 | 0 | >100 | The accident occurred on 6th Avenue inDenver,Colorado, due to overnight snow and icy roads[140][141] |
| 23 December 2022 | United States (Sandusky County, Ohio) | 4 | 73 | 51 | This crash occurred on theOhio Turnpike inSandusky County due at least partially to weather conditions from theDecember 2022 North American winter storm, as the area was under a level 3 snow emergency and "the crash came amid frigid temps and strong winds."[142] This crash was still under investigation a month later.[143] |
| 1 May 2023 | United States (Montgomery County, Illinois) | 8[144] | 36 | 72 | This crash occurred onInterstate 55 inMontgomery County, Illinois, due to a dust storm.[145] |
| 23 October 2023 | United States (St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana) | 8 | 63 | 168 | This crash occurred onInterstate 55 inSt. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana due to a combination of heavy fog and drifting smoke from nearby marsh fires (superfog). This stretch of I-55 fromPonchatoula toManchac iselevated to pass over swampland below, and one vehicle fell into the water and partially sunk, while over 100 motorists were left stranded before rescue services could reach the area.[146][147] |
| 21 December 2024 | Brazil (Teófilo Otoni) | 39[148] | 7 | 3 | This crash occurred onBR-116 inTeófilo Otoni,Minas Gerais; according to theFederal Highway Police, the cause of the accident was possibly due to a fall of granite block from a B-train that hit a bus and a car.[149][150] |
| 7 February 2025 | Canada (Orillia, Ontario) | 1 | 11 | 50-60[151] | This crash occurred onKing’s Highway 11 in the city of Orillia, Ontario, aftersnow squalls in the area led towhiteout conditions, causing collisions between an estimated 50-60 vehicles. A 49-year-old man was killed and 11 others were hospitalized.[152] |
| 15 February 2025 | Sweden (Uppland) | 0 | 0-120 | 100< | Two accidents occurred in Uppland on 15 February, one on the E18 in the vicinity ofGrillby nearEnköping and another on the E4 nearUppsala due to icy road conditions and low visibility. |
| 14 March 2025 | United States (WesternKansas) | 8 | 30+ | 71 | This crash occurred onInterstate 70 in northwesternKansas betweenColby andGoodland due to a dust storm.[153] |
Multiple vehicle collisions can occur in the restricted courses used inmotorsports as well, most commonly after a green flag (on road courses) being waved following a warm-up lap during the start of the race. Reporters and fans apply subjective guidelines as to what threshold needs to be crossed before a simple on-track incident can be described as such.NASCAR fans, for example, talk about the "Big One", where many cars can be or are involved in a wreck while running close together.
There is little research on why these crashes occur. Neither theFederal Highway Administration, theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration, theNational Transportation Safety Board, theInsurance Institute for Highway Safety nor auto clubAAA has researched the phenomena.
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