A huge sandstorm during rush hour Tuesday night in Lancaster resulted in two separate pile-ups as visibility was reduced to zero.
Six people were hurt in crashes blamed on the sandstorm. One of the pile-ups involved 20 cars, NBC reports.
Wind gusts were up to 60 mph, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Both sides of the 14 Freeway were closed between Avenue A and Avenue D for several hours.
“It’s kind of nerve-racking because it’ll blow your car over a little bit," driver Megan Lecornu told NBC. "So I just got all the way over into the far right lane, so if I do go over, I’m going into the side instead."
The Avenue D overpass remained closed last night after a separate crash involving a big rig. Since that accident happened around 8 pm, just as the winds were slowing. CHP officials said they do not believe it was related to the sandstorm.
A wind advisory for the Antelope Valley remains in effect until 9 pm tonight, with winds of 20 to 30 mph forecast and gusts of up to 50 mph expected through early Thursday morning.
