3-semi accident backs up traffic near Watford City

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A non-fatal, multiple semi accident on Highway 85 near Watford City on Wednesday caused traffic to back up for several hours.

McKenzie County Sheriff Ron Rankin said the sheriff’s office received a call around 6:56 a.m. Wednesday about the three-semi accident.

He said the incident involved a sideswipe and a head-on collision and one of the vehicles had caught fire.

“But all the drivers were up and walking around (after the accident),” Rankin said.

Highway 85 near the accident was reopened with limited access by 11:30 a.m., but Rankin did not know how far traffic had been backed up.

When Rankin spoke with The Dickinson Press he said he had not talked to the three McKenzie County sheriff’s deputies who responded to the incident, and he did not know a cause of the accident.

Several departments responded to the scene, including the McKenzie County Fire Department, several Watford City emergency services, Alexander Fire Department and the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

A call to the NDHP in Watford City was not returned.

Tags: highway 85, news, local