BISMARCK, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The North Dakota Highway Patrol and North Dakota Department of Transportation urge motorists to exercise caution while snowplows are working to clear highways.

In an eight-hour period on Wednesday, Dec. 26, NDHP investigated five crashes involving snowplows. In four separate crashes, vehicles rear ended snow plows on I-94 near Richardton; on I-94 near Hebron; on I-94 near Steele and on Highway 85 near Williston. Minor injuries were reported in the Steele and Richardton crashes.

Two additional crashes were the result of drivers attempting to pass snowplows engaged in road clearing and struck other vehicles as they attempted to pass the snowplow. One crash within that time frame occurred on I-94 near Hebron, where no injuries were reported. A second crash on Thursday, Dec. 27, occurred on Highway 22 north of Killdeer. A driver was killed in that crash.