The wreck was reported just after 9 p.m. between westbound Exits 4 and 5 near the borders of Manchester and South Windsor, firefighters said.
The impact sent one car careening into some trees along the interstate and sheered the front wheel off another, the South Windsor Fire Department said.
Three people were sent to the hospital following the crash. Fire officials did not release any information on those people or the extent of their injuries.
Police closed all but one westbound lane on I-291 near the crash for hours as they clean, cleared, and investigated the scene.
Calls to South Windsor and Manchester police departments for information on the cause of the crash were not immediately returned.
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