A POCAHONTAS, IOWA MAN HAS DIED FROM INJURIES SUFFERED IN A 16 VEHICLE CRASH SATURDAY AFTERNOON ON INTERSTATE 80 IN WESTERN NEBRASKA.
THE NEBRAKA STATE PATROL SAYS A DUST STORM OCCURRED IN THE AREA, LEADING TO POOR VISABILITY AND THE CRASH THAT INVOLVED 16 VEHICLES, SEVERAL OF WHICH CAUGHT FIRE AT MILE MARKER 118 NEAR THE TOWN OF BRULE.
ONE OF THE DRIVERS, 56-YEAR-OLD STEVEN WICHMAN, OF POCAHONTAS, IOWA, WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE.
FIVE OTHER PEOPLE WERE TRANSPORTED TO OGALLALA COMMUNITY HOSPITAL WITH SERIOUS INJURIES, WITH ONE CONSIDERED TO HAVE LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES.
BOTH DIRECTIONS OF TRAVEL WERE CLOSED ON I-80 FOR AN EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATION AND CLEAN-UP.
INTERSTATE 80 WESTBOUND REOPENED JUST BEFORE AROUND MIDNIGHT CENTRAL TIME SATURDAY NIGHT AND I-80 EASTBOUND REOPENED AT APPROXIMATELY 3:50 A.M. SUNDAY.
