State police say ice, dense fog and speeding were to blame for the multiple pile-ups along westbound I-84 near Gowen.
Multiple agencies responded to dozens of calls, and despite the volume of wrecks, they say no one was seriously hurt.
“We had, at least, 20-plus crashes and then slide-offs on top of the crashes throughout the valley,” said Captain Fritz Zweigart with Idaho State Police.
A stretch of the interstate near Gowen saw at least a dozen collisions and slide-offs.
At one point during the morning, police say visibility near the Eisenman Road Exit was limited to about 150 yards, prompting the shutdown of westbound I-84 near Exit 59 for just under two hours. Multiple agencies stepped in to help.
“A lot of times on these kinds of days, all the local agencies find themselves helping everybody out,” Zweigart said. “Whether it be on the interstate or the side roads.”
In most of those traffic incidents, law enforcement says drivers were traveling too fast for the conditions.
“We’re stressing to everybody to always slow down, especially if you see emergency vehicles,” Zweigart said. “Whether it be a fire truck, a police vehicle…if you see lights, that means there’s danger ahead or in the area.”
ISP says drivers should give themselves extra travel time and make sure they have enough gas in their car to keep the heat running in the event of a slide off.
