SANDUSKY, Ohio — Shocking images circulating on social media show a disastrous pileup of dozens of vehicles on the Ohio Turnpike near Sandusky amid a severe winter storm causing icy roads and low visibility due to snow blowing in blizzard-strength winds.

"It was a whiteout basically," said one driver at the Ohio Turnpike. "That’s what it was."

Four people are confirmed to be dead in the crashes that involved about 50 cars.

"We’re just blessed to be here, honestly," said Robert Clark. "We had seconds to get out of the car."

The couple had been traveling from Detroit, not expecting their day would end like this.

"It’s a lot. It was a lot," said Keijuana Reese.

Jerry N. Hruby, chairman of the Ohio Turnpike Infrastructure Commission, issued a statement following the events on Friday.

The crashes were first reported by Turnpike officials at about 12:45 p.m., and are now blocking all lanes for over a mile in Erie County at milepost 106.

Ohio State Highway Patrol officials believe that about 50 vehicles were involved in the crashes, which happened on the eastbound lanes of I-80 between State Route 53 and State Route 4 in Groton Township in Erie County. State officials whiteout conditions caused the crashes.

One fatality has been reported and multiple people are injured, OSHP said. Troopers from area posts, turnpike personnel and first responders from multiple agencies have responded and are on scene.

All westbound traffic is being diverted off at Exit-118 (US 250/Sandusky), and all eastbound traffic is being diverted off at Exit-91 (SR 53/Sandusky), Turnpike officials said.

Buses were used to take the stranded motorists to Castalia Maintenance Building, located on the Ohio Turnpike, to stay warm, officials confirmed to News 5.

"I received a phone call from my athletic director, who’s got some family working for the turnpike commission as well, that they had reached out for possible help with school busses," said Clyde Green Springs School Superintendent, Lucas Messer.

Jumping on board to support, and even risking their lives, the district’s Athletic Director Ryan Greenslade and Transportation Director Bob Morris, brought warm food, drinks and bussed people from the turnpike plazas to warmth and shelter.

"This is just kind of what we do," said Messer. "This is pride in our community, in our towns and anything we can do to step up and help, anyone around us really is just kind of the way we do business here."

As of Friday evening around 9 p.m., the turnpike remains closed in both directions between exit 91 and exit 118 as crews continue to clear 15 commercial vehicles.

We're still working to gather more details - this story will be updated as we learn more.

Viewer video from Catherine Martinez Griert:

Turnpike viewer video

Photos of the pileup from Mike Waldron on Twitter below:

Mike Waldron, @mikewaldron115 on Twitter

Mike Waldron, @mikewaldron115 on Twitter

Mike Waldron, @mikewaldron115 on Twitter

Mike Waldron, @mikewaldron115 on Twitter

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CAME TO A CRASHING STOP. >> IS REALLY BAD. BRIAN: IT’S WHEN THE BEAUTY OF WINTER, >> I WENT FROM ONE SIDE TO ANOTHER SIDE AND I CAUGHT MYSELF TO GET BACSTK RAIGHT. BRIAN: WINTER MAY HAVE OVERSLEPT BUT IT WOKE UP, AND SEEMS TO BE IN A BAD MOOD. THIS IS I-64 BETWEEN WINCHESTER AND MT. STERLING, MULTIPLE CRASHES, WITH MULTIPLE VEHICLES AT LEASTNE O MAJOR PILEUP. IN SOME PLACES THE INTERSTATE WAS SHUT DOWN. GOING SOUTH IN KENTUCKY DIDN’T GET WARMER, IT GOT WORSE. >> WE ARE UP NORTH OF LEXINGTON, ROADS WERE UNTREATED IN SEVERAL AREAS, THERE WERE LOTS OF ACCIDES.NT CARS UPSIDE DOWN, INTO THE DITCH, INTO THE WALL, EVERYTHI.NG >> I SAW A FEW CRASHES AND CARS IN THE DIT.CH IAN:BR KENTUCKY STATE CREWS LOADED UP EARLY. THEY CALLED IN CONTRACTORS TO HELP. THE STATE HAS 120 TRUCKS IN ISTH DISTRICT, FIVE OF THEM DEDICATED TO THE CUT IN THE HILL. >> THAT IS THE ROUTE YOU WILL CONSTANTLY BE GOING ON. BRIAN: MARCIE VIOX AND HER TEAMS DREW OUT THEIR PLANS, LIKE THE STRATEGY FOR A DECISIVE BATTLE. >> IF WE HAVE TO PUT THE PLSOW DOWN IF NOW WE’LL PUT THE PLOWS DOWN, KEEP THE SLICK SPOTS AWAY, KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. BRIAN: BUT THE ROAD WORK ISN’T OVER WHEN THE SNOW STOPS. >> WE’RE PLANNING ON A SHIFT CHANGE AT MIDNIGHT. SO, WE’LL HAVA E FRESH ROTATION COMING IN AND THEY’LL WORK ROTHUGHOUT THE NIGHTOR F POSSIBLE REFREEZE. BRN:IA WHETHER WINTER GOT CONFUSED OR JUST PROCRASTINATED, IT’S RAMPING UP PRODUCTION NOW, LIKE A SNOW GLOBE. AND FOR DRIVERS THE SPLIT PERSONALITY GOES FROM DR. JECKLE TO MR. SLIDE. --R. D JEKYLL TO MR. SLIDE. BRIAN: CREWS ARE CLEAR THE PARKING LOT. A LOT OF WORK TOE B DONE IN THESE AREAS. IF YOU ARE HEADED SOUTH, GOING TO DRY RIDGE WILL BE SLOW, BUT FURTHER SOUTH YOU MIGHT WANT TO RETHINK THOSE PLANS, PUT IT OFF FOR A DAY OR SO.

Winter strikes hard on some Kentucky roads

Updated: 6:34 PM EST Jan 6, 2022

If winter overslept, it woke up in a bad mood.Winter had been mostly mild until snow hit Thursday.In Dry Ridge, traffic moved slow on I-75. About 120 Kentucky state road crews were out and clearing roads beginning around noon. Those crews will stay out long after dark. “We’re planning on a shift change at midnight. So, we’ll have a fresh rotation, and they’ll work throughout the night for refreeze. The blowing snow and getting the roads ready for the morning commute,” said Kentucky Transportation spokeswoman Nancy Wood.Conditions were worse farther south.“Up north of Lexington roads were untreated in several areas, there were lots of accidents, cars upside down, into the ditch, into the wall, everything,” said driver Bill Flatt.There was a major pileup on I-64 near Winchester, Kentucky.

If winter overslept, it woke up in a bad mood.

Winter had been mostly mild until snow hit Thursday.

In Dry Ridge, traffic moved slow on I-75.

About 120 Kentucky state road crews were out and clearing roads beginning around noon. Those crews will stay out long after dark.

“We’re planning on a shift change at midnight. So, we’ll have a fresh rotation, and they’ll work throughout the night for refreeze. The blowing snow and getting the roads ready for the morning commute,” said Kentucky Transportation spokeswoman Nancy Wood.

Conditions were worse farther south.

“Up north of Lexington roads were untreated in several areas, there were lots of accidents, cars upside down, into the ditch, into the wall, everything,” said driver Bill Flatt.

There was a major pileup on I-64 near Winchester, Kentucky.