NEW HAMPTON - A chain-reaction accident involving at least a dozen motor vehicles on Interstate 93 north closed a section of the highway near Exit 23 for about two hours Saturday afternoon as snow made the highway treacherous, according to authorities.

A separate six-car collision was reported just to the south, and another crash occurred just to the north of Exit 23, Fire Chief Mike Drake said.

One report said 17 vehicles were involved in the biggest crash, but state police reported the largest accident involved 12 vehicles on both sides of the highway just before 12:30 p.m., with additional accident scenes between Exits 22 and 23 in Sanbornton.

State police also reported other vehicles off the roadway, but didn't say how many total were involved.

No one was seriously hurt. Five people were taken by ambulance to local hospitals and later released, state police said.

"The conditions were treacherous, there was very low visibility," Drake said. "This storm seems worse than the (Thursday) storm that wasn't so bad."

For a period, traffic was rerouted via Route 132. I-93 was reopened about 2:20 p.m.

One driver involved in the biggest crash, who asked not to be identified, said his car was towed away. He stood outside a gas station near Exit 23, waiting for a ride.

"It all happened so fast, and then I got hit and all these cars were all over the road," he said.

He said he was on his way to his home in Madison.

dseufert@newstote.com