30 injured in I-80 crashes and fireball

MARENGO — Chain-reaction crashes sparked a fireball and injured about 30 people Friday afternoon, bringing traffic to a standstill for hours on a segment of busy Interstate 80.

Despite flames and black smoke that rose into the sky and could be seen for miles, no one was killed in the crashes that happened in Iowa County, about a half-hour west of Iowa City, authorities said.

A dozen of those injured were taken Friday evening to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. where two were in critical care and one was in the burn unit.

'They ran the gamut from mild the somewhat critical,' said Kenneth Rempher, chief nursing officer at UIHC. 'The condition of two of the patients is such that they require intense nursing care and intense medical care.'

Officials said 11 others were transported to Marengo Memorial Hospital and six to eight others were taken to Mercy Hospital in Iowa City.

The most serious crash involved a charter bus carrying several employees from the Ryan Companies, a Cedar Rapids commercial real estate company.

'We regret to report that several of our employees were injured in a charter bus accident that occurred this afternoon on I-80,' said a Friday night statement from Marc Gullickson, president of the company's healthcare division. 'Those employees have been taken to medical facilities for evaluation and treatment. Family members have been notified, and our thoughts and prayers go to our people and their families, and all of the injured parties.'

Motorists caught by the crashes captured the mayhem as they slowly drove past on cellphone videos and photos, posting them on social media.

Their images show fires erupting from the worst crash, which involved three cars, two semi-trailer trucks and a tour bus. Later images depict the aftermath — charred hulls of the bus and several cars being hauled away.

'It was disgusting,' said Angela White, 28, of Brooklyn, Iowa, who was traveling east with three children and a friend when they came upon the crash in the westbound lanes. 'You had ambulances coming one way and fire trucks going the other way. It was insane.'

The crashes started about 3 p.m. when a semi trailer on the side of the interstate caught fire, said Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Nate Ludwig.

Crews put it out, but it flared up again and slowed traffic. That caused several cars to crash.

Then as traffic slowed even more, two semi trucks, three cars and a tour bus headed westbound collided, Ludwig said, and caused a fire. Names of those involved, and of the bus company that operated the charter, were not available.

First responders requested all ambulances in the area to assist at the scene.

Traffic backed up in both directions for miles on the interstate, and local roads quickly became snarled as drivers diverted around the site.

That segment of the interstate, near Mile Marker 215, sees around 30,000 vehicles a day, according to Iowa Department of Transportation figures.

UIHC's Rempher said hospital staff were made aware of the crash about 30 minutes before patients began arriving by ambulance.

Most staff were already on duty when the alert came in, and only burn surgeons and trauma surgeons had to be summoned, he said.

'We did what we typically do in those instances and we activated all appropriate resources and had everybody respond to the emergency department, and they were prepared and ready and waiting,' Rempher said. 'It was amazing to see all the troops rallied, what could have been very chaotic was very organized.' he said.

Contributing: Mark Carlson, Mitchell Schmidt, Clare Murphy, Stephen Schmidt, Sarah McCarthy. Mike Wagner and Adam Carros.