Winds blow tumbleweed onto highway, trapping motorists in vehicles
Strong winds, low visibility factored into motorists becoming trapped on the highway
Of all the reasons to be late for a party, the one that seems least likely is tumbleweed on the highway.
But, that's exactly what happened to scores of people on a Washington state highway on New Year's Eve, after strong winds blew tumbleweed onto a portion of the roadway.
Several vehicles were forced to slow because of low visibility before eventually coming to a complete stop. Once the tumbleweeds appeared, they became stuck and were unable to move any further.
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According to state troopers, some of the tumbleweeds piled as high as 20 (6.09 metres) to 30 feet (9.14 metres). Crews from the Washington State Department of Transportation worked through the night to clear the roadway, which was closed for about 10 hours. It reopened around 4:30 a.m. on New Year's Day.
One car was found trapped in the tumbleweeds after the sun had risen, but it was abandoned by its driver and no injuries were reported.
Thumbnail courtesy of Washington State Patrol.