OMAHA, Neb. — At least five people have died as a result of multiple car crashes across the area.
"The initial call came shortly after 11am this morning. It was the beginning of the second round of the forecasted light snow," Fire Chief Mark Sobota of Greewood Fire and Rescue said.
Fire Chief Sobota and his team were one of the first on scene of a crash that took three lives in the Westbound Lanes of Interstate 80 near Greenwood early Sunday.
The crash reportedly involved four vehicles and a total of at least seven people. Two people were pronounced dead on scene, with a third later dying in the hospital. Through the chaos, multiple departments stepped up to help.
"The other departments were called in because the sheer number of patients also anytime you get on Interstate 80 the traffic management is very huge," Chief Sobota said. "The teamwork was amazing. We had seven different departments from three different counties."
The crash led to the closure of a stretch of westbound lanes from Gretna to Waverly. Traffic was redirected until the Interstate reopened around 4:15pm. While state patrol is still investigating the crash, Chief Sobota believes weather may be to blame.
"It's definitely going to be weather related, slick surfaces," he said.
Across town another fatal accident took place, this time in Sarpy County. The Sarpy County Sheriff's Office and fire and rescue from Bellevue responded to a two-vehicle crash on Hwy 75 around 1pm Sunday, right under the Hwy 34 bridge.
Six people were involved in this crash, two people from the Chrysler that crossed through a median were found dead on scene. They were later identified as 19-year-old Gabrielle Ramirez and 20-year-old Beau Dasher. All other injured parties were transported to Nebraska Medicine. A one year old in a child safety seat was found in the backseat of the other vehicle involved was miraculously unharmed.
Due to these crashes first responders are reminding everyone to slow down on the roads when snow hits and to buckle up.
"When you're driving on the icy roads, slow down, pay attention, leave your phone on the dash, leave it in its holder. Leave it alone," Chief Sobota said.
If you see a crash, don't immediately go for your phone. First responders want to prevent secondary accidents from occurring.
"The worst thing people are doing right now is after the incident has happened, everybody wants to be the first to post it on social media. We saw numerous vehicles with cell phone cameras hanging out the driver's door," Chief Sobota said.
Both crashes are still under investigation, we will update you with more information as it becomes available.
