The combination of morning fog and smoke from a nearby wildfire produced a "super fog" that led to at least seven deaths in a traffic pileup of more than 150 vehicles near New Orleans on Oct. 23, police said.
The dense mist drastically reduced visibility on Interstate 55 during the morning commute on a busy stretch of the highway. The devastating crashes led to multiple 18-wheelers and other vehicles being engulfed in flames and motorists being stranded for hours.
Stunning aerial images shared by the Louisiana State Police on Facebook show charred remains of some vehicles and dozens of other cars and trucks piled on top of one another. At least 158 vehicles were involved in crashes, police said.
I-55 remained closed in both directions on the morning of Oct. 24, and authorities fear they may find more victims in the massive wreckage.
“It spans about a mile in distance," Sgt. Kate Stegall of the Louisiana State Police told reporters at a press conference. "And it’s broken down into several other crashes.”
About 2 million people were under a dense fog advisory from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to New Orleans on Oct. 24, according to TODAY weatherman Al Roker.
The smoke from a marsh fire near Bayou Sauvage outside New Orleans has combined with the fog to create dangerous conditions. The fire has been burning for nearly three months since it was first caused by a lightning strike on July 29, according to NBC affiliate WDSU.
Monday's catastrophic pileup also left dozens injured, police said.
"I’m still shaking at this very moment," motorist Clarencia Readus told NBC News correspondent Morgan Chesky on TODAY on Oct. 24.
From a nearby hospital, Readus recalled how the super fog impacted her and her wife, Lisa. They were driving for about 12 miles on the interstate before visibility started to dramatically decrease from the fog.
"We’ve seen some people on the other side waving their hands and letting us know to stop," Readus said. "We were hit from the back. Then we see another car on the left-hand side hit us, then had another car in the back of us hit us. And for 30 minutes, all you can hear is just booms everywhere from both sides."
The two are recovering from their injuries but were thinking of those families who lost loved ones.
"Some people is going to have to live with this the rest of their life," Readus said. "The only thing that people can actually do right now is to pray for those people."
There is no timetable for when the highway will be reopened to traffic. Structural engineers also have to inspect a mile-long section of a bridge on the highway to ensure it's safe after fires may have damaged it, Chesky reported.