LICKING COUNTY, Ohio -- No one was injured in a multiple-vehicle, chain-reaction crash that closed a portion of eastbound state Route 161 Monday morning.
NBC 4's Marcus Thorpe reported with the FAST FACTS from the scene.
The crash, which included as many as nine vehicles, happened shortly before 9:15 a.m.
Eastbound lanes of S.R. 161 at state Route 310, near Pataskala, were closed in response to the crash. The freeway reopened to traffic before 11 a.m.
Authorities said there weren't any injuries as a result of the crash.
Snow and fog might have been a factor in the crash, officials said.
Thorpe said vehicles were scattered around the roadway and in ditches.
Drivers ran into what they said were snow-covered roadways and thick fog.
As motorists attempted to slow their vehicles to adjust for the weather, several vehicles ended up scattered around the eastbound lanes and in ditches.
"I will tell you: Pretty scary. I had no control over the vehicle at the time. Nothing I did helped – tried to control it. Nothing worked at all. Thankfully, no one was injured," Rahim Barrie said. Barrie was involved in the crash.
Eastbound traffic was diverted to S.R. 310 during crash cleanup, and tow trucks were called to the scene to help.
NBC 4 asked ODOT if the stretch of road was missed by snow plows.
Kate Stickle with ODOT said the area was plowed and treated Sunday night, but with a -4 degree temperature, it is possible that the traction material or road salt may not have broken down the hardened icy spots.
Stickle added that ODOT is comfortable that everything was done properly to make sure the area was clear and passable.
INTERACTIVE LOCATION MAP
View S.R. 161 closed in a larger map
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