Traffic pileup that involved dozens of vehicles during spring snowstorm in Wisconsin leaves 1 dead

The traffic pileup along Interstate 41 Wisconsin during whiteout snowstorm conditions Wednesday killed one person and involved about 80 vehicles, the Wisconsin State Patrol said Thursday.

A 37-year-old woman from Trenton, Tennessee, involved in one of several crashes along the 18-mile stretch of highway in Washington County was killed, according to the state patrol.

The state patrol and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office released details on two specific crash scenes, both near Slinger, Wisconsin.

The first scene involved “about 30 cars,” resulting in six people hospitalized and one death, officials said.

The second crash involved 48 cars. Another six people were hospitalized, the sheriff’s office said. An additional 26 people were treated for injuries at the scene and about 50 stranded motorists had to be transported by a bus service.

The first crash was reported at 11:13 a.m., the sheriff’s office said. More than 20 crash scenes have since been identified. Multiple tractor-trailers were also involved.

The National Weather Service warned "scattered snow showers and isolated thundersnow will affect areas from Fond du Lac County down to Walworth County and east through much of the afternoon," according to a statement issued at 11:18 a.m. "The main concern with these snow showers is the likelihood of significantly reduced visibility at times to a quarter mile or less, causing hazardous driving conditions."

The 18-mile stretch of I-41 was shut down for about nine hours Wednesday. The crashes are still under investigation local authorities.

Follow Elliot Hughes on Twitter: @elliothughes12.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 1 dead after traffic pileup on Wisconsin Interstate 41 amid snowstorm