Low visibility leads to 40-car crash on Idaho highway

ISLAND PARK, Idaho (AP) — Idaho State Police say roughly 40 vehicles were involved in a crash on an eastern Idaho highway after severe winter weather caused whiteout conditions, but only minor injuries were reported.

The Idaho State Police said in a prepared statement that the crash occurred about 3 p.m. Friday just north of Island Park on U.S. Highway 20. Low visibility had cloaked the road when a semi-truck collided with a passenger car that was stopped in the eastbound lane. Several more crashes occurred behind the semi-truck, ultimately involving about 40 vehicles.

Eight different agencies from Idaho and Montana responded to the crash, and several tow companies helped with removing the vehicles.

Both U.S. Highway 20 and Idaho State Highway 87 were closed from Island Park to the Montana state line for several hours, but the roads had reopened by Saturday morning.