The latest storm to hit Nebraska caused a lot of dangerous condition's on the interstate system across the state. The Nebraska State Patrol says nine semis were involved in accidents on eastbound I-80 Wednesday morning due to an accident between the Giltner and Aurora exits.
A total of 11 vehicles were involved and one person was critically injured. At approximately 9:10 a.m. Hamilton County received a 911 call that two semi-tractor/trailers had crashed and jackknifed. As troopers and officers were en route to the scene, additional vehicles became involved in a chain reaction crash. The first crash scene involved four semis and a Jeep Cherokee.
After the initial incident, a pair of semis that were traveling together came upon the scene and were unable to stop. One struck the other, pushing it into the Jeep Cherokee.
Both people in the Cherokee were transported to the hospital in Aurora. The passenger, 29 year old Jason Palmer of Indiana, has since been airlifted to Kearney with life threatening injuries. The driver was evaluated and has been released from the hospital.
One of the semi drivers was also transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. As traffic was stopped for the first crash scene, another semi jackknifed while attempting to avoid the stopped traffic. Moments later, another crash occurred a just to the west involving two more semis and a minivan. No injuries were reported in those crashes.
In total, there were nine semis and two passenger vehicles involved in the incidents near mile marker 328. Interstate 80 was closed for eastbound traffic for approximately three hours while emergency crews worked the scene and cleared the road. Weather conditions were a factor in the crash.
(Photos: Nebraska State Patrol)