WBRZ - Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE - Police said a pileup which snarled traffic on I-10 and I-12 today started when one vehicle ran out of gas, and was rear-ended by another vehicle.

Cpl. Tommy Stubbs with Baton Rouge Police said the incident on I-10 West at College Drive happened around 12:15 p.m., involved six vehicles and three separate wrecks.

Stubbs said a driver ran out of gas trying to exit onto College, then got out and started pushing his car out of the way when another driver came up from behind and hit his vehicle. The driver who was out pushing jumped clear of the wreck before it happened.

Stubbs said the impact pushed the out-of-gas vehicle into traffic, where two other vehicles hit it. Two additional vehicles trying to get out of the way of the wreck crashed as well.

The wreck closed the interstate down to one lane for a time, and backed up westbound traffic beyond the I-10/12 split. EMS took two people to the hospital from the scene for non-life threatening injuries.

Stubbs said the driver who initially rear-ended the out-of-gas vehicle will be cited for careless operation and not having insurance.