Freezing rain that caught motorists by surprise is being blamed for a 11-vehicle pileup on Interstate 95 in the Maine towns of Pittsfield and Palmyra.
One minor injury was reported in the crashes that took place on Friday night.
State police say the incident, which involved nine cars, a wrecker and a tractor-trailer truck, began when a car skidded into the median and a tow-truck was called to the scene.
As troopers arrived the interstate became ice covered.
As other vehicles entered the crash zone they were unable to slow down and secondary crashes blocked the northbound lane.
The Maine Department of Transportation was notified, and the northbound lane was closed for about two hours while cars were removed and the roadway was treated. Troopers escorted motorists from their crashed vehicles to the high embankment along the road for their safety as vehicles continued to crash.
Police say freezing rain, the ice-covered roadway, and motorists going too fast for conditions all contributed to the crashes.
