Authorities say five people were killed in two separate crashes on I-80 between Lincoln and York on Sunday.
Seward County Sheriff Joe Yocum says the first crash happened after a westbound vehicle crossed the median and struck an eastbound vehicle near Milford.
Four people in the westbound vehicle were killed and the driver of the eastbound vehicle was hospitalized, according to Yocum. The names of the victims have not been released.
The second crash around 10:00 a.m. involved two semi's near Seward. The Nebraska State Patrol says 33 year old Abdiaziz Jama of Columbus, Ohio, was killed when the semi he was driving failed to slow down and rear-ended a second semi. Jama's passenger, 30 year old Mohamed Apdullahi, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators believe Jama may have been texting at the time of the crash. The Nebraska State Patrol tweeted, "It's been a bad day on I-80 between Lincoln and York with multiple fatality crashes."
A third crash was reported around 11:30 near Beaver Crossing. Authorities say 68 year old Jeffrey Eymann of Grand Island rear ended a semi. Eymann suffered non-life threatening injuries.
One other person died in one of the subsequent crashes that followed the initial one.
That crash occurred near mile marker 378 Sunday morning when the semi truck 33-year-old Abdiaziz Jama of Columbus Ohio was driving failed to slow down and rear-ended another semi.
Jama was killed in the crash.
The initial crash caused a chain reaction that included a third semi and a 2013 Dodge Ram.
Jama's passenger, 30-year-old Mohamed Abdullahi was transported to a nearby hospital with non-lie-threatening injuries.
Investigators believe Jama may have been texting at the time of the crash.
The names of the crash victims were not immediately released on Sunday afternoon.
Please use caution on the roads and always buckle up