More than a dozen vehicles were involved in each of the pileups wildfire smoke and fog caused in Strathcona County early Friday morning.
In total, 16 adults between the two scenes were hospitalized, according to Alberta Health Services and RCMP.
Both crashes happened near the Highway 21 and Highway 14 intersection around 6 a.m.
Within the hour, the area was closed to traffic.
"Visibility in the area is extremely poor due to heavy smoke from the wildfires combined with moisture in the air," Mounties said in a 6:45 a.m. advisory.
"Motorists are advised to avoid the area and travel is not recommended at this time."
HIGHWAY 14
The bigger crash involved 34 vehicles, including four semis, on the westbound lanes of Highway 14, west of the Highway 21 intersection.
In total, 14 people were hurt in that pileup.
Two women were hospitalized in critical condition. One of the women, in her 30s, was flown by STARS Air Ambulance from the scene to the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton.
Twelve others – seven men and five women – were taken to hospital in stable condition in ambulances.
"I took a picture through the windshield right after it happened, and you can barely see the front of the truck," one uninjured commuter, Kevin Gillespie, recalled. He was in a pickup near the front of the pileup.
"We stayed in the vehicle. It was scary because we could hear crashes behind us over and over again, so we didn't want to leave the vehicle."
"Pretty stressful way to actually start out a Friday. But, luckily we were able to walk out of it," Chester Mooney, who was with Gillespie, told CTV News Edmonton.
At 11:30 a.m., crews were still removing vehicles from the scene.
Highway 14 reopened at 1 p.m.
HIGHWAY 21
At the second crash scene, on Highway 21 at Township Road 520, just north of the intersection, 12 vehicles crashed into each other, Mounties say.
Two drivers were hospitalized.
Anyone who wasn't hurt in either of the crashes was bused to Millennium Place.
Highway 21 was open in both directions by 11:30 a.m.
