Hunter
12/15/25
West Liberty Fire and Ambulance has shared details about Saturday’s multi-vehicle accident that closed both directions of Interstate 80 for hours.
The department was called out to the interstate at 9:42 am near mile marker 262 westbound and arrived with various apparatus to assist. Due to the severe weather and deteriorating road conditions, a number of secondary collisions occurred on both eastbound and westbound lanes.
Among the area agencies responding to the incidents were West Branch Fire and First Responders, Atalissa Fire and 1st Responders, the Cedar County Sheriff’s Department, Wilton Ambulance, Johnson County Ambulance, Tipton Ambulance, Durant Ambulance, West Branch Police, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa DOT, Cedar County Dispatch, Iowa Public Safety Dispatch, Muscatine County Dispatch, Scott County Dispatch, and Johnson County Emergency Management Communications Center.
At the time of the press release, more than 40 individuals were evaluated by EMS and somewhere between 20-25 were transported to area hospitals by ambulance. 3 people had to be extricated from their vehicles by fire rescue personnel. An unidentified number of individuals were transported to safety away from the scene.
Officials eventually closed both the eastbound and westbound lanes of I80 between Coral Ridge Mall exit 240 and Plainview Road exit 284. The road was opened again to traffic at around 9pm Saturday after vehicles and debris were removed from the traveled portion of the roadway. Other vehicles remained on the shoulder and off-road and will take time to remove.