46-car pileup on Ohio highway leaves 4 dead

A pileup of at least 46 vehicles on a highway in Ohio has left four people dead and many more injured, officials said, amid a massive winter storm that has pummeled the region with blizzard conditions and dangerously cold temperatures.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol tweeted on Friday afternoon that it was on the scene of multiple crashes on the Ohio Turnpike on eastbound lanes. The patrol confirmed Friday night that there were four fatalities, and the area of the turnpike was closed in both directions as crews worked to clear the vehicles involved in the crash. 

Officials said weather played a role in the incident, and those involved were moved to a local facility by bus to stay warm as white-out conditions persisted. The westbound lanes of the area of the turnpike were opened shortly before 11:30 p.m. on Friday, but the eastbound lanes remained closed. 

Ryan Purpura, a sergeant for the Ohio State Highway Patrol, said in a video posted on Twitter on Friday that officials are asking people not to travel in these types of weather conditions and to take necessary precautions like keeping a safe following distance behind another vehicle if travel is essential. 

“This is a stark reminder of what can happen when you get behind the wheel and try to drive in bad weather conditions,” he said. 

The storm, dubbed Winter Storm Elliott by The Weather Channel, has brought blizzard-like conditions and strong wind gusts of 50 miles per hour or more to much of the country, knocking out power for more than 1 million people and causing thousands of flight delays and cancellations. The storm also sent temperatures well below freezing across the United States. 

More than 200 million people were under a winter storm warning or advisory at one point as the storm swept across the country, making up about 60 percent of the U.S. population. 

Photos of the crash from the State Highway Patrol showed tractor-trailers and cars smashed with a couple cars sticking up in the air.