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Crashes on I-80 Saturday involved more than 50 vehicles
The event has been classified as a ‘mass casualty incident’
Dec. 16, 2025 12:29 pm, Updated: Dec. 16, 2025 3:50 pm
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More than 50 vehicles were involved in a series of crashes on Interstate 80 on Saturday, causing a backup that lasted most of the day.
A Facebook post from the West Branch Fire Department states the department was working on and off the interstate from 9:42 a.m. Saturday to 6:30 p.m., responding to what has been classified as a “mass casualty incident,” meaning the number of injured or affected people overwhelmed local emergency resources.
No one died as a result of the crashes, but several people were injured. Emergency crews triaged about 40 or 50 people during the almost 9-hour response.
The interstate was blocked from mile marker 256 to mile marker 262 while fire departments from West Branch, West Liberty and Iowa City, the West Branch Police Department, Iowa State Patrol and Cedar County Sheriff’s Office responded to the collisions. Ambulance services from Johnson County, West Liberty, Tipton, Durant, Wilton and Bennett responded as well.
“We would like to thank all assisting agencies for their coordination and teamwork during this extended and complex response,” the West Branch Fire Department post reads.
Comments: (319) 398-8328; emily.andersen@thegazette.com
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