COLUMBUS (WCMH) – A multi-car accident on the west side of Columbus sent five people to the hospital.

It happened around 9am on Thursday on I-70, in between I-270 and Hilliard-Rome Road.

Police said two people were in stable condition, one had non-life threatening injuries and two others are in serious condition.

“Oh, it was horrific. I hope everyone’s ok,” said Kyle Wilgus, who got stuck on the highway headed to work.

“Right as we were passing the bridge on I-270, on I-70 west everything just stopped and we never moved again for another hour and a half,” he said.

Willis said what he saw was horrible.

“There was a car in front of a semi truck, completely smashed between the truck and the guard rail,” he said. “Behind that, there was another car flipped on its side, almost on top of the guardrail.”

Jackie Thompson avoided the highway after learning about the accident, but she said side-streets were still congested.

“My husband was headed to Trabue, which is only a few seconds from here, took him 25 minutes to get to Trabue Road this morning,” said Thompson.

She said construction in this area can make it difficult to maneuver.

“But, if they slowed down and pay attention they’ll be fine,” said Thompson. “Drive with caution and pay attention. That’s what I’ve got to say.”

Overall, the highway was shut down in that area for about five hours. ODOT said it took several hours to clean up debris and put back a concrete barrier that was damaged during the crash.