Two people are dead after crashing on Interstate 40 near Williams amidst a snowstorm in High County.

Officials say the incident occurred at Milepost 159 in West Williams on Thursday before 3:30pm.

Authorities say the incident was a secondary collision due to the jackknife vehicle blocking the right side of the road. Authorities say some vehicles are unable to slow down as traffic merged into the left lane, while other commercial vehicles will jacknaffe and collide with multiple vehicles. Others were inherited and were pushed into commercial trucks and underneath.

Overall, the crash included 12 passenger cars, five commercial vehicles and five suitable trailers.

One of the commercial vehicles sparked a fire and the flames spread across all involved vehicles. Authorities say weather, traffic jams and other incidents have led to delays in emergency response. The fire reportedly burned for more than 12 hours.

Two people have been confirmed to have died as a result of the crash. On Thursday night, authorities said three people died but fell to two on Friday.

The Public Safety Agency reminds people to delay travel during the storm. If inevitable, drive with great care, prepare your vehicle and expect delays.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Weather and weather-related incidents have made the next closure in place.

• Eastbound near Interstate 40 Kingman, Ash Fork (mileposts 71 and 146)
• Interstate 40 Westbound between Williams and Holbrook (Milepost 158-289)
• Interstate 17 State Route 179 (Mile Post 299) northbound
• Condition Route 89A in both directions between Sedona and I-17 (milepost 375-394)
• State Route 87 on Southbound (MilePost 338) near Winslow

The closure is expected to continue through Friday night, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.