Police, road crews and wrecker companies were kept busy Sunday evening as rain combined with freezing temperatures and formed a layer of black ice that landed many motorists in the ditch.

Driving conditions on Interstate 95 in Etna were so bad that traffic came to a complete standstill for half an hour, forming a traffic tie-up that stretched for almost two miles, according to Sgt. Rod Carr of the Maine State Police.

The tie-up was not caused by accidents, but “because roads were too icy” for cars to even move, he said.

The southbound lane of I-95 was shut down between 7 and 8 p.m. between Alton and Howland after several vehicles went off the road, and road crews were called in to put sand on the road.

Public safety dispatchers were so busy taking calls of accidents that they had to stop logging them individually into the computer and concentrate all efforts on dispatching troopers and answering the telephone.

There were 43 accidents and incidents logged, but Carr said there were many more that did not get entered into the computer system.

State police reported six accidents in which there were injuries. Those accidents occurred in Penobscot, Washington and Hancock counties. Details were not available on the accidents, but Carr said he was not aware of any injuries that “were life-threatening.”

About 20 or 30 accidents were investigated by the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department Sunday night. A dispatcher said that problem areas included Route 2 in Hermon, and Pushaw Road and Tibbetts Hill in Glenburn. No injuries were reported, she said.

Several accidents kept Brewer police busy, including a three-car pileup on Route 1A.

Investigating officer Rick Canarr said that no one was injured in the accident, but one vehicle was demolished. He said that one car went out of control, and when the other two other drivers attempted to avoid the first car, they collided with each other.

In Bangor the accidents started at about 7 p.m. and officers were busy traveling from one incident to another until about 10 p.m., said Bangor police Sgt. Dave Kane.

“There were lots of accidents throughout the evening,” said Kane.

No injuries were reported and Kane said many people waited until Monday to report their accidents.

There also were problems in other parts of the state. In Oxford County, the Sheriff’s Department reported more than 30 accidents.