All lanes of I-95 in South Carolina near the community of Santee closed after a horrific crash that involved at least 69 vehicles.

Traffic resumed early Friday after the interstate shut down for nearly a day.

The crash happened Thursday morning amid dense fog in Clarendon County near the Orangeburg County line, sending nearly 40 people to hospitals.

“Praying for everyone involved in this morning’s mass-casualty 40-car pileup on I-95 in Orangeburg County. A horrific sight. Fifteen 18-wheelers, an entrapment, and one person airlifted to the hospital. Several others treated for injuries,” Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) commented.

“Our hearts are with everyone caught in this nightmare, and deep gratitude for the first responders who rushed in to help. Drive safe, South Carolina,” she added.

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WLTX shared further:

Clarendon County Fire Rescue officials said the crash happened just before 9 a.m. where the interstate crosses the lake. The crash scene began at mile marker 100 and stretched at least a mile back. At least one vehicle also caught fire, officials said.

The crash happened on the southbound side, but emergency crews temporarily closed northbound lanes to access the scene. Southbound I-95 remained shut down with a detour near mile marker 102 until 3 a.m. Friday, when one lane reopened. At 6 a.m., officials announced all lanes were open.

MUSC Health Orangeburg said it received about 20 patients. Two were admitted, two were still being treated and four were transferred for “a higher level of care.” Clarendon County Fire Rescue said its crews transported 17 people to McLeod Health Clarendon and that one person was taken by helicopter.

Thursday evening, several state agencies remained at the scene, with SCDOT inspecting the bridge’s condition, according to Clarendon County Fire Rescue.

According to The Center Square, responding authorities estimated 92 vehicles stretched onto the Lake Marion bridge.

15 tractor-trailer rigs were among the wreckage.

11 Alive has more:

Dennis Masson was driving home with a friend after a hunting trip when they encountered extremely dense fog while crossing Lake Marion on I-95.

Masson said visibility was so limited that drivers had little warning as the crash unfolded around them.

About halfway across the bridge, Masson said, “you could only see about 30 feet.”

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He said the crash began when a tractor-trailer stopped ahead of them.

“There were two semis in front of us. You could see the first semi put his flashers on, and the other semi swerved to miss him because he had stopped,” Masson said.

According to Masson, the semi that swerved crashed, setting off a chain reaction involving multiple vehicles.

“There was a car, a pickup truck, and then a bigger truck hit the pickup. The pickup then hit a little car behind us, and that car hit our pickup,” he said.

Masson and his friend were able to get out of their vehicle without injuries. Their pickup was damaged, and they were waiting to find out whether it would still be drivable.

Masson said the scene was difficult to comprehend as people got out of damaged vehicles.

“It was just car after car walking out of there, and you just had never seen anything like that before,” he said.

He described the damage to some of the vehicles as severe.

“You can’t even describe it. One car they took out of here looked like a Rice Krispies treat, the way it was crumpled,” Masson said.

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