Strong winds kicked up dust and left drivers with “zero visibility” ahead of the “mass casualty crash” on Friday afternoon. Gusts of 60 mph were recorded around the time of the pileup on Interstate 90 near Hardin, a city in the south of the state. It’s unclear how many were injured in the incident, but a highway patrol official said additional ambulances had to be called from another city to help. Cars were seen crashing into a patch of grass off the motorway as emergency services rushed to the scene on Friday afternoon. Dozens of other vehicles were backed up along Interstate 90. The collision happened as the area was being buffeted by fast winds (AP) The accident was reported to the highway patrol at 16:28 local time on Friday. Minutes after the crash, nearby Big Horn Country Airport recorded wind gusts of up to 62 mph – down from 40 mph less than a quarter of an hour earlier. The wind was easily picking up dust, a product of the recent hot temperatures over the last week. The crash happened near Hardin, Montana (AP) “It looks like there were high winds, causing a dust storm with zero visibility,” said Jay Nelson of the Montana Highway Patrol. Visibility is believed to have dropped to less than 400 meters due to poor weather conditions on Friday. Greg Gianforte, the governor of Montana, said he was “deeply saddened” by the news of the “massive crash.” “Please join me in prayer to lift up the victims and their loved ones. We are grateful to our first responders for their service,” he added. Additional reporting by The Associated Press
