Vantage, WA : 11 injured, big rigs crash in pileup on Interstate 90 in Central Washington on Thursday, July 17, 2014

Fifteen cars and nine tractor-trailers collided on Interstate 90 on Thursday, leaving nearly a dozen people injured and causing a pileup that snarled traffic on the main route across Washington state, authorities said.

The crash happened just before 11 a.m. in the eastbound lanes near Vantage. Some of the 11 people who were hurt suffered serious injuries, Trooper Darren Wright said.

Both directions of the highway in the area where the accident happened would remain closed until Friday because of poor visibility, the state Department of Transportation announced. Wind gusts were kicking up dust left by a brush fire that burned in the area Tuesday, said DOT spokeswoman Meagan Lott.

PHOTO: This aerial photo provided by the Washington State Patrol shows an Interstate 90 pile up Thursday, July 17, 2014 near Vantage, Wash. The Washington state Patrol says more than 20 cars and semi-trucks crashed leaving 11 people injured. (AP Photo/Washington State Patrol)This aerial photo provided by the Washington State Patrol shows an Interstate 90 pile up Thursday, July 17, 2014 near Vantage, Wash. The Washington state Patrol says more than 20 cars and semi-trucks crashed leaving 11 people injured. (AP Photo/Washington State Patrol)
There was no estimate on what time the stretch would reopen Friday.

"It's depending on conditions," Wright said. "We want everybody to be safe."

The department had closed a roughly 20-mile stretch of I-90 in both directions Tuesday because of the brush fire.

Wright said it's not yet known how the pileup started.

The Transportation Department said there's a 15-mile detour using the Old Vantage Highway.

Source :
Nearly 25 cars, big rigs crash in pileup on Interstate 90 in Central Washington; 11 injured