A combination of fireworks smoke and fog led to multi-vehicle crashes that closed the U.S. 20 bypass, overnight, in Elkhart County.

One of the collisions happened around 10:45 p.m. on Thursday, July 4, in the westbound lanes near County Road 9 and involved 7 vehicles including a motorcycle.

An Elkhart County Sheriff’s Deputy was in the area when he reported a vehicle in the ditch. Then, traffic began backing up due to deteriorating road conditions due to heavy smoke in the area which started a pileup of crashes.

A woman was taken to Elkhart General Hospital for neck and chest pain.

A second crash happened around 11:50 p.m. and involved three vehicles in the eastbound lanes of the bypass near County Road 115.

Injuries in that collision were also determined to be non-life-threatening.