Driver describes being stuck in traffic for over 5 hours after more than 50 cars crash on I-90

BELOIT, Wis. -- One of the drivers who was stuck in an interstate pileup near the Illinois-Wisconsin state line described his ordeal.

At least 27 people were hurt in the chain reaction crash Friday along Interstate 90 just north of Beloit, Wisconsin.

"We started seeing smoke, like black heavy smoke, and that was when we saw that there was a couple semis on fire and we were like, alright now what do we do? We're stuck in this gridlock," said Brandon Chau.

More than 50 vehicles were involved and all lanes were shut down for hours, leading to major backups during rush hour.

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Chau said he was among those caught in the backup and sat in traffic over five hours.

With a full tank of gas, he said he was able to sit in his car and was regularly updated by responding crews.

Chau said he's thankful he was able to make it out of the crash OK.

"I'm not a big religious person, but someone was definitely looking down on us because, I mean, if I stepped out the car and I looked, you know, 20 - 40 feet behind me, there was a car that was in the median, the concrete media. And like turn the opposite way and I could see in my passenger rearview mirror that there was a red like Chevy Colorado facing the wrong way too, and I knew something was not normal," he said.

The Wisconsin State patrol says snow had reduced visibility in the area at the time of the crash.