A blinding snowstorm that caused what was described as “whiteout” conditions Sunday, Dec. 19, lead to an 80-vehicle pileup on Interstate 80, media outlets reported.

The accident occurred on the portion of I-80 between I-79 and the Ohio border. Dozens of people were injured, and the force of the collisions was so great that one semi-trailer shown in television reports was literally torn in half.

Dozens of people were hurt, though reports differed on the exact number.

At the center of the pileup were four jackknifed tractor-trailers and dozens of vehicles that collided with them, a scene that a CNN producer described as “a vision of hell.” Law-enforcement officials indicated that vehicles traveling too fast for conditions were the main cause of the accident.

The road was opened at the crash site, about eight miles from the Ohio border, by Monday.