As many as 28 people were injured in a chain-reaction pile-up on State Route 247 in Lucerne Valley on Monday afternoon, which was blamed on white-out conditions during a blinding dust storm, authorities said.
The crash occurred around 3:15 p.m. near Rabbit Springs Road, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department.
At the time of the crash, blowing dust and sand reduced visibility to zero, according to Fire Department’s Facebook page.
Winds gusts in the area were clocked at upwards of 50 mph, the National Weather Service reported.
Only three victims were transported to the hospital. One patient suffered major injuries and was taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, the post stated.
Two other patients were transported to St. Mary’s Hospital in Apple Valley.
The highway was shut down for several hours as a result of the crash.
The cause of the crash was being investigated by the California Highway Patrol.