It all started at around 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16. Cars headed northbound on I-71 in Madison County, Ohio, slowed to a stop. And waited. Oddly, the same thing happened on the southbound side, too. Drivers described “endless” brake lights and little to no communication from the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The north-facing motorists had no idea they’d be at a standstill overnight.

OSHP says two separate accidents caused both I-71 clogs, and an exit ramp under construction didn’t help drivers much

The agency told local WBNS that two different crashes happened at nearly the same time.

Responders faced several consecutive challenges. Serious injuries, 42,000 lbs of commercial drivetrain parts housed in an involved semi-truck, and a hazardous oil spill.

Once the highway patrol realized how bad the traffic was, it reopened an exit ramp at State Route 56. Despite that action, dozens of motorists were still left sitting.

Lt. Merrill Thompson explained that the cars “stuck for good” couldn’t turn around because semi-trucks, unable to safely maneuver, held up any hope of movement before the accidents were cleaned up.

“I think by the time we hit like three or four hours, it was like, ‘Oh my God.’”

One driver described how bad it was for families with children. “There were definitely a lot of irritable kids. Whatever construction they were doing to the right side of the highway, it was all sand and water,” he said. “And so trying to get those kids through that, to go find a safe place to use the bathroom that was also private, was definitely frustrating for those people.”

The OSHP said that they were monitoring cars that risked running out of gas. 

But one driver, Hannah David, says she was sitting for eight hours without a word from any authority. Or water. And that there were stranded vehicles present. She said no one was checking on them.

David says that she learned about what was happening on I-71 from Reddit. She was only about 15 minutes from home when she got stuck.

I’m not sure I understand the traffic jam’s length myself, or even the OSHP’s explanation. I live in Columbus, Ohio, and drive I-71 plenty. There are typically distantly spaced emergency turnarounds and plenty of grassy areas where cars can drive across if absolutely necessary. 

It seems like the liability and safety risks were too great to manage logistically. After all, cars aren’t all built for off-roading, and the thought of causing possibly many more rescue-level scenarios left OSHP in a tough spot.

Authorities chose, all things considered, to focus on the cleanup. Still, that left elderly or young children stranded without accommodations or extra supplies.

Speaking of, this is a great time to point out the importance of keeping extra shield-stable food, potable water, and other survival items in your car.

In any case, while the southbound lanes reopened after about an hour, the northbound lanes started moving around 8 a.m. Thursday morning.