Vehicles and semi-trucks collide in major crashes along icy I-5 in Portland, Oregon

By Kevin Byrne, AccuWeather staff writer

February 4,2017, 2:52:00AM,EST

 

Numerous accidents were reported around the Portland, Oregon, area Friday morning as freezing rain slicked major roadways.

Portland Fire and Rescue crews responded to multiple accidents on Interstate 5 amid icy conditions.
Officials recommended that a stretch of southbound I-5 near the Capitol Highway be shut down after as many as 50 vehicles were involved in an accident. Semi-trucks and cars were both involved in the accident.

(Photo/Oregon Department of Transportation)

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) urged motorists to delay their morning commute if possible until conditions improve.
ODOT also said it was applying sand and a deicer product to the road as it worked to clear the accidents. As of 5:30 a.m. PST, a stretch of I-5 had already begun to reopen.
Several minor injuries were reported across all crashes, KATU in Portland reported.
Several TriMet buses were requested to shelter stranded drivers who were stuck in the cold. Significant delays to rail and bus services were also reported.
The precipitation first moved into the region around 1:30 a.m. local time Friday and will continue through Saturday.

Temperatures hovering around freezing have allowed slippery conditions on elevated and untreated surfaces, in particular, to continue into Saturday morning as intermittent bouts of freezing rain have continued.
"The threat for freezing rain will finally end by Saturday morning as temperatures rise above freezing," according to AccuWeather Storm Warning Meteorologist Alex Avalos.