On Friday, January 16, 2026, a chain-reaction crash during a severe winter storm on a major South Dakota interstate claimed multiple lives. The fatal pileup occurred on westbound Interstate 90, near mile marker 203, close to the town of Reliance in Lyman County.
The South Dakota Department of Public Safety reported that the crash involved five commercial vehicles and one passenger car during near-zero visibility, whiteout conditions. The investigation indicates that a semi-truck traveling westbound was unable to slow or stop due to the hazardous road conditions and struck another semi-truck from behind, initiating a catastrophic chain reaction.
Among the vehicles caught in the collision was a passenger car. The driver of that car, 28-year-old Reed Glenholden Harter of Colome, South Dakota, and his passenger, 27-year-old Chandler Cole Bakley of Winner, South Dakota, sustained fatal injuries in the impact. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on I-90.
The multi-vehicle collision blocked the westbound lanes of Interstate 90 for an extended period, requiring a massive emergency response. Crews from the Reliance, Presho, and Kennebec fire departments, along with multiple troopers from the South Dakota Highway Patrol, worked at the scene for hours to assist the injured, clear the wreckage, and investigate the cause.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol’s investigation is ongoing, with the severe winter weather and poor visibility being central factors. This tragic incident underscores the extreme dangers of driving during blizzard conditions on high-speed roadways, where a single incident can rapidly escalate into a multi-fatality disaster.
Reed Harter and Chandler Bakley are deeply mourned by their families and communities. Their untimely deaths in the crash near Reliance serve as a heartbreaking reminder of the human cost of travel during dangerous winter storms.
