Dozens of cars collide on foggy Maryland highway

FINZEL, Md. -- Nearly 100 cars and trucks driving through heavy fog crashed Friday in a series of accidents on a western Maryland interstate, killing at least two people and injuring more than 60, authorities said.

Cars, trucks and tractor-trailers jammed Interstate 68 and its shoulders, twisted up against guard rails. Some had crushed hoods, fenders and tailgates.

Visibility was near zero in the Big Savage mountain range where the accidents occurred, Garrett County Emergency Director Brad Frantz said. A 20-mile stretch of the interstate was closed.

Sacred Heart and Memorial hospitals in Cumberland treated about 64 people, said Kathy Rogers, a spokeswoman for Western Maryland Health Systems, which operates the hospitals. The Red Cross set up a shelter at fire department.

The initial crash was reported about 1:45 p.m., said Valerie Edgar, a State Highway Administration spokeswoman.

"We don't know what truly caused it, but it's probably the fog," she said.

The National Weather Service put out a fog advisory for the area at 3:12 p.m., said Josh Korotky of the weather service office in Pittsburgh. The area ranges in elevation from 2,800 feet to 3,000 and is prone to fog.

"If you have low clouds and you drive into the mountains, it's like driving into the clouds," Korotky said.