Six Seriously Injured in 45-Car Accident on Interstate 80 in Wyoming

A 45-car pile up on interstate 80 in western Wyoming caused at least six people to be seriously injured when snowy, blizzard-like weather made for dangerous driving conditions.

The massive car accident occurred between Laramie, Wyoming and Cheyenne on Interstate 80 at around 11:20 a.m. Thursday morning. Local police suggest that too fast of speeds may have contributed to the sudden vehicle pile-up, which included many large trucks transporting goods.

"Temperatures were between 29 and 32 degrees," AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Mike Doll said in a statement. "Winds were out of the north, which is a cross wind along that stretch of I-80, with gusts as high as 40 mph."

The local KUSA news station reported that 22 people were injured total, with each being listed as in critical condition. Victims of the crashes were transported via ambulance and school bus to nearby hospitals.

The local media outlet reports that about 40 commercial vehicles and 20 personal vehicles were involved in Thursday's crashes, which actually included three separate accidents all along a short span of Interstate 80.

Wyoming and Colorado were hit with a surprising spring storm on Thursday and Friday, resulting in low temperatures and a mix of rain and snow in both states.

Extreme weather conditions in Colorado caused the state to close part of Interstate 70, from Golden and westbound, on Friday morning due to multiple crashes.

While no deaths were reported in Thursday's 45-car pile-up, police and the local transportation authority closed a large 150-mile swath of Interstate 80 to clean up the accident.