Interstate 84 in Oregon is now partially open, but only to single-lane traffic after a long stretch of the I-84 was closed almost the whole of Saturday due to a pileup.

The accident, which involved over 12 semi-trucks and more than 50 vehicles, closed around 160 miles of the eastbound lanes from Pendleton to Ontario. It took the road crew the whole Saturday to remove the damaged vehicles and debris created by the pileup, reports Oregonlive.

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State highway officials attributed the accident that occurred before 5 a.m. to black ice, steep terrain and poor visibility.

Oregon State Police Sgt. Kyle Hove said four people were injured in the pileup and brought to the hospital for minor to serious wounds. However, there were no fatalities.

But Oregonlive, also citing the state police, said the number of people hurt was higher at 12. Six of them were transported by ambulances to the Saint Alphonsus Medical Center in Baker City, while six were brought by third parties.

"A couple of the trucks came upon the black ice, and they jackknifed and crashed into each other. And it just continued to escalate until we had a total of 50 vehicles in one scene," AP quotes Hove.

He adds besides the 50-vehicle pileup, there were also several separate smashups covering a stretch of three-quarters of a mile, likewise in the eastbound lanes.

Although two of the trucks involved in the pileup were carrying hazardous material, fortunately their contents didn't spill. But diesel from their fuel tanks spilled, which the road crew also cleaned up.

Tom Strandberg, spokesman of the Oregon Department of Transportation, asked for public understanding since the accident led to motorist frustration. He pointed out that the primary concern of authorities is safety and ensure everything is cleared by the road crew before allowing vehicles to pass through the affected areas.

He warned motorists to expect winter conditions in eastern Oregon and reminded drivers to follow regulations on icy-road driving.

TagsOregon, Interstate 84