DURHAM, N.C. — Stormy weather on Tuesday led to a 32-car pileup on a North Carolina interstate, authorities said.
The wreck closed Interstate 40 in Durham for nearly four hours and backed up traffic for at least 3 miles, WNCN-TV reported.
The crash was reported to state police at about 4:44 p.m. EDT, according to WRAL-TV. It initially closed all westbound traffic on I-40.
The wrecks were due in part to severe weather in the Durham area.
“Roadways in Durham are hazardous due to storm damage,” the Durham Police Department wrote in a Facebook post. “Please avoid unnecessary travel if you can, to allow our crews to work safely on emergency response.”
All lanes reopened just before 8:30 p.m., the television station reported.
It is unclear what caused the initial crash and the chain reaction that followed.
One of the various crashes involved two cars wedged under the trailer of a tractor-trailer, according to WNCN. One lane over, 11 vehicles appeared to be stuck after a chain-reaction wreck, the television station reported.
It did not appear that there were any serious injuries, according to WTVD.
The Durham Police Department is in charge of the investigation, WNCN reported.
