65 vehicles in I-290 crashes; 35 taken to hospitals near Worchester, Mass.

State Department of Transportation anti-icing crews coated Interstate 290 in Worcester with salt brine at 5:45 a.m. Sunday, about an hour before icy road conditions triggered a chain reaction crash that ultimately involved 65 vehicles, including three tractor trailers, officials said.

A DOT spokesman said today the DOT activated its anti-icing forces in central Massachusetts around 2:30 a.m. in reponse to weather forecasts.

The spokesman said the crews were using salt brine, which is spread on highways before storms or cold temperatures to prevent ice forming on the roadways. He said the section of I-290 in Worcester received a dose of salt brine around 5:45 a.m.

State Police on Sunday said they first observed a vehicle sliding on the roadway – which is a portion of the elevated roadway traveling through Worcester—around 6:40 a.m. The collisions continued unabated until the roadway was literally choked with crashed vehicles.

In all 65 vehicles were involved, including three tractor trailer units. State Police said 35 people were taken to area hospitals for treatment of a wide variety of injuries.