Dan Thrift/Tahoe Daily Tribune Scattered throughout the westbound lane of Highway 50 West at Cave Rock, 12 vehicles blocked traffic for more than an hour after icy roads led to the pileup.
Icy conditions may have been the cause of a 12-car chain-reaction accident at Highway 50 at Cave Rock that shut down the westbound lane for several hours Wednesday and sent at least two people to the hospital.
Ambulances were summoned to the scene, but Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper John Schilling said only minor injuries were reported.
A witness, whose vehicle was near the front of the 3:40 p.m. crash, said she was sideswiped and lost control because of the extremely icy conditions inside the tunnel.
San Jose, Calif., resident Norman Lin was able to safely stop his red BMW behind the initial crash, but was rear-ended.
"I couldn't get through," Lin said.
While Lin was held up behind the crash, his car was rear-ended by a pickup, sending his two young children to the hospital. Lin's daughter had cuts on her hand from the shattered rear window of his vehicle.
Three cars then piled up behind the truck, completely choking off both lanes of the tunnel.
"We've got a mess," Sgt. Tom Mezzetta of the Douglas County Sheriff's Department said minutes after the accident happened.
Traffic was rerouted by using the eastbound lanes through the tunnel, but motorists experienced lengthy delays. Mezzetta guessed traffic was "backed up a mile."
Nevada Department of Transportation crews were called to place an electronic sign in the westbound lane notifying motorists of long delays.
The National Weather Service office in Reno reported 5 to 6 inches of snow last night at lake levels and 15 to 16 inches above 7,000 feet.
The accident remains under investigation. Icy conditions were a factor in the chain-reaction, but the cause of the initial crash has not been determined.
The road reopened at about 6 p.m.
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