33 Injured in Series of Crashes Amid Foggy Weather

A series of crashes injured several people and shut down the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana on Tuesday morning. Foggy conditions contributed to six collisions—four on the northbound span and two on the southbound. St. Tammany Parish fire officials reported 33 people needed hospital care, but there were no fatalities. By late afternoon, all bridge sections were operational again.

General Manager Carlton Dufrechou of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway noted that fog was a factor but likely not the sole cause. He stated that "60% to 70% of those wrecks are due to inattentive driving, either texting or answering a phone or looking down and not looking at the road." The bridge remained closed from about 8:30am until around 5pm, as emergency units assisted about 30 stranded people back to either Metairie or Mandeville.

These incidents echo a recent tragic event on Interstate 55 near New Orleans, where seven people died, and dozens were injured under similar foggy conditions. Meanwhile, the Bonnet Carre Spillway Bridge was briefly shut down due to the same weather but witnessed no accidents. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)