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Pileup tangles traffic on I-80

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By ZACH PLUHACEK / Lincoln Journal Star

Saturday, Sep 22, 2007 - 09:50:55 pm CDT

Some Nebraska State Troopers were planning to go home early Saturday after a busy late shift, courtesy in part of Husker traffic.

Ten troopers — including two in a helicopter — responded to three crashes involving eight cars on Interstate 80 near the 27th Street interchange Saturday afternoon.

A driver jockeying for position while eastbound on the interstate started it all, cutting in front of a 2005 Nissan SUV on a sloping bridge just east of the interchange, Sgt. Jay Petersen said.

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The driver of the car kept going while the Nissan and a 2005 Chrysler minivan behind it slowed down, only to get hit by a 2002 GMC Denali. A 2001 Dodge Durango then hit the Denali.

The driver of a 2000 GMC pickup pulling a car trailer swerved to avoid the accident — which was barely visible over the crest of the sloping interstate — and sideswiped a 2002 Volkswagen, Petersen said. Those two drivers were able to pull off to the side of the interstate.

Then, the driver of a 2003 Ford F-150, slowing down because of the crash, was rear-ended by a 1995 Ford F-150.

The calls started coming in at about 3:30 p.m.

“It couldn't have happened at a worse time, of course,” Petersen said.

Heavy traffic from the football game at Memorial Stadium had cars backed up from the interchange to 27th and Superior streets.

No one was seriously injured in the crashes, although a passenger in the 2003 Ford F-150 was treated and released at Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center, Petersen said.

Damage to the vehicles was estimated at about $40,000, he said, including about $30,000 to the Denali, which was totaled. No citations were issued.

State troopers had the interstate clear of the damaged vehicles between 4:15 and 4:30 p.m.

The late shift at the State Patrol started a few hours early Saturday, with troopers coming in at 2 and 2:30 p.m. instead of the usual 4 and 5 p.m.

“If we hadn’t have kicked on early,” Petersen said, “the day shift would have been swamped.”

Reach Zach Pluhacek at 473-7395 or zpluhacek@journalstar.com


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where's that guy? wrote on September 22, 2007 10:04 pm:
" So, where's the guy that started all this? I hate when people are so impatient, can't people just 'get along' while driving? "

 Bill wrote on September 22, 2007 10:24 pm:
" So where is the guys that started this. I am writing this about 7 hour after the accidents so I suspect averaging 70 miles an hour and stopping for gas once he is perhaps 470 miles from the spot. This is a classic case of the cause of the accident never being known because he is long gone. "

 PR wrote on September 23, 2007 12:35 am:
" Bound to happen, I can be doing the speed limit and everybody passes me like I'm standing still all thru that 65 MPH area, not to mention the same thing after you can go 75. "

 yoshiki wrote on September 23, 2007 12:55 am:
" How many more years to widen Lincoln's portion of the Interstate? 10 more years was it??! "

 Blessed wrote on September 23, 2007 3:42 am:
" I go so far to say that when certain people drive, they have no regard for other lives on the road. It's not like the place they are headed toward is going to disappear or anything. The driver may been wreckless driving and everyone involved were blessed to not have been seriously injured. "

 Laurie wrote on September 23, 2007 5:11 am:
" Sounds to me like the Denali and the Durango were also "jockeying for position". Lesson here.... if it looks like a bus and drives like a bus, it probably also stops like a bus- not a Ferrari. Quit tailgating. "

 ARE YOU KIDDING??? wrote on September 23, 2007 7:58 am:
" No Citations Issued??? ARE YOU KIDDING?? I get a ticket for going 5 miles over the speed limit. These people are causing thousands of dollars in damages and NO CITATIONS ISSUED??? Maybe I just need to cause a few accidents so I don't get a ticket. "

 Barb wrote on September 23, 2007 9:13 am:
" A frequent task force working to ticket speeders on I-80 from the 395 to the 409 mile markers would probably be a cash cow! They need to place those speed indicator signs throughout that section with additional signs saying "Speed limits strictly enforced." I drive this stretch and believe the speeding cars are making it very dangerous for everyone! Especially those weaving in and out of traffic!! "

 NASCAR Idiots wrote on September 23, 2007 9:58 am:
" All of these morons out there who think they are on the NASCAR curcuit and follow about one carlength behind a vehicle going 80 mph are the cause of these wrecks. I've seen five of them in the past 12 months. You mental midgets know who you are. Stop it before you kill somebody. "

 Hmmm.... wrote on September 23, 2007 10:26 am:
" "No citations were issued"?? Not even to the one that started it all?? Go figure. "

 S wrote on September 23, 2007 11:08 am:
" Where... I'm sure he's still out there somewhere causing more problems, because it's hard for him to see where he's going when he drives with his head that far up his posterior. "

 Eric wrote on September 23, 2007 7:13 pm:
" Sounds like typical Lincoln driving to me. Inconsiderate, rude, running red lights, changing lanes and cutting people off. Someone needs to teach Lincoln drivers how to drive. "

 JH wrote on September 24, 2007 9:50 am:
" Widening the Interstate will no lessen the stupidity of drivers. Well done to the officers for having this mess cleared so quickly. "

 citations wrote on September 24, 2007 10:30 am:
" I'm surprised no citations were issued. even in town, if a driver hits you and causes you to hit the person in front of you, i thought you would still get a ticket because you are responsible for your vehicle at all times. thats why i dont get so close to the car in front of me when im stopped at a light... "

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