Multiple Car Pileups Across Kansas City Metro - Valentine's Day Weather Blast

A Valentine's Day weather blast caused havoc on freeways throughout the Kansas City Metro area. Northbound I-35 was shut down early this afternoon due to a multiple car pileup near 87th Street. We witnessed this collision scene personally, and after being rerouted from the freeway and getting back on we came upon two more collisions, both involving multiple vehicles as well, all within a mile of one another. The number of cars and emergency personnel involved in these three incidents was nothing short of amazing. The underpasses were particularly treacherous, with sheets of ice. Surprisingly but thankfully, no reports of serious injury have yet to materialize from these collisions. According to news reports, the worst freeway pileup occurred on I-70 in Kansas City, Kansas, near the K-7 interchange. More than 40 cars were involved in this particular crash and the highway was closed down for several hours as firemen attempted to unpile the wrecked and disabled vehicles.

One collision was reported as a chain reaction, with drivers unable to stop when they saw it. Crews worked for hours to extricate people, including some young children, trapped inside cars. In some cases, emergency personnel broke windows to extricate people. Drivers were helpless, but in the end many were amazed that the injuries were not greater considering the number of cars involved and the severity of the collisions. 

"We suddenly saw the pileup and when we put the brakes on and we just kept going, no stopping," said one driver caught in the accident. "There was no traction whatsoever."

Indeed, that is what we witnessed as we drove northbound on I-35 this Valentine's Day and came upon the multiple car wrecks at 87th Street. Just before this, we were on seemingly dry roads when suddenly there was a small ice patch on which we momentarily lost traction. It was a bit unsettling and surprising given the seemingly clear road surfaces up until that point. From our experience, it appears that whoever came upon that particular stretch of highway at just the wrong time was destined to be a part of these pileups. In the end, its another vivid reminder to always drive conservatively in winter weather. Likewise, be certain to always wear seat belts as you can never be absolutely certain you will not become part of the car wreck news of the day and it is well known that seat belts save lives.

An official count of the number of serious injuries has not yet been reported, but the hope is that everyone involved escaped without severe injury.