Pileup injures 33, spills diesel fuel on Idaho highway

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – A fuel tanker and several other vehicles crashed on an Idaho highway, injuring 33 people and spilling diesel fuel, authorities said.

The chain-reaction crash Wednesday involved a bus carrying 30 Idaho National Laboratory employees, the fuel tanker, two government vehicles and two private vehicles on snowy U.S. Highway 20, lab officials said.

Thirty-three people were taken for treatment, and all the injuries appeared to be minor, the lab said in a news release.

The pileup happened after a driver facing low visibility stopped her car on the highway, and the bus driver stopped behind her, Idaho State Police said.

A semi-truck hauling a diesel fuel tanker couldn’t stop and struck the bus, which hit the car that had stopped, authorities said.

Three other cars tried to avoid the crash but were caught in another wreck. One of them was hit from behind and collided with a car from the first crash, lab officials said.

The semi’s fuel tank was punctured and spilled about 3,000 gallons (11,350 litres) of diesel fuel, authorities worked to clean it up.