Thursday morning was a dangerous time to be on State Highway 386 in Sumner County, just north of Nashville, Tennessee -- three separate chain-reaction crashes involving a staggering 176 cars left one person dead and another 16 injured.

Heavy fog and black ice were blamed for the mess, which started just before 8 a.m. ET when a car ran off the highway, leaving a pile-up in its wake. The subsequent crashes involved a school bus loaded with kids who were all fine, but one man lost his life when his subcompact car went under a semitrailer.

The 16 who were injured in the massive snarl were all taken to area hospitals in non-critical condition, but as late as Thursday afternoon the highway remained closed as authorities tried to clear the wreckage and tow off 50 cars that were not in drivable condition.

[CNN]

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