3 dead after multiple-vehicle highway crash in Arkansas

Three people were killed Wednesday after at least a dozen vehicles collided in different spots along heavily-traveled Interstate 30 in southwestern Arkansas, state police officials said.

The Arkansas Department of Transportation said the crashes happened just before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the eastbound lanes of the interstate near Midway, Arkansas, about 50 miles (80.47 kilometers) southwest of Little Rock. The highway was closed.

The Arkansas State Police reported multiple fatalities about an hour later, but troopers still hadn't accounted for all of the motorists involved.

Traffic was so paralyzed that state workers distributed snacks and water to stranded motorists about 7:30 p.m. No further information was immediately available.