At least 5 dead in Missouri interstate crash involving dozens of vehicles

Tim Stelloh and Matthew Mata and Lana Green
Updated ·1 min read

At least five people are dead and a major interstate was shut down after a fiery crash with dozens of vehicles in Missouri, authorities said Thursday.

Mississippi County Coroner Terry Parker said officials were in the process of notifying families of the people who were killed.

Missouri State Highway Patrol said that a section of Interstate 57 was closed in both directions in Mississippi County, from Interstate 55 to the Illinois state line.

At least five people are dead and a major interstate was shut down after a fiery crash with dozens of vehicles in Missouri, authorities said Thursday. (Jeff A Barnes)
At least five people are dead and a major interstate was shut down after a fiery crash with dozens of vehicles in Missouri, authorities said Thursday. (Jeff A Barnes)

NBC affiliate WPSD of Paducah reported that 70 or more vehicles may have been involved in the crash, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

Photos and video captured by a driver who was stuck near what he described as a pileup showed what appeared to be a semi-truck in flames, mangled wreckage and a massive column of black smoke.

"The black mess on that tow truck is what's left of a semi," he wrote on Facebook.

It wasn't immediately clear what caused the crash.