None of the injuries was life threatening, sheriff's deputies said.

A convoy of vans had pulled onto Interstate 20 near Arcadia late this morning when one of the vehicles at the front of the line slowed down suddenly, deputies said. The other drivers slammed on their brakes but an oncoming 18-wheeler could not stop in time and hit the back of a van.

The van was carrying special-needs hurricane evacuees from a facility in the Lafayette area. The evacuees had been held in Arcadia until the storm passed and were returning home, Bienville Sheriff John Ballance said.

The passengers were taken to an Arcadia hospital as a precaution, deputies said.