A massive pile-up involving over 100 vehicles occurred on Interstate 196 in Michigan on Monday as a severe winter storm created hazardous driving conditions.
The Michigan State Police were forced to close the highway in both directions southwest of Grand Rapids to manage the scene, which included the removal of more than 30 semi-trailers. While several individuals sustained injuries during the crashes, authorities reported that none were believed to be fatal.
Visuals shared on social media and by local outlets highlighted the scale of the wreckage along the snow-blanketed roadway.
This incident is part of a broader winter weather system moving across the US, leading the National Weather Service to issue warnings for extremely cold temperatures and storms across a region stretching from Minnesota to New York.
A motorist, Pedro Mata Jr, described the treacherous conditions, noting that visibility was so poor he could barely see the cars in front of him despite driving at slow speeds.
To avoid being hit from behind, Mata pulled his pick-up truck into the median, where he described the “scary” experience of listening to the “bangs and booms” of trailing collisions.
Authorities continue to urge drivers to exercise extreme caution and slow down as the storm continues to dump snow on the area. Temperatures are expected to plunge to -22 degrees Celsius (-8 degrees Fahrenheit) with the wind chill, and the cold front is so expansive that freeze warnings have been issued as far south as Florida and Georgia.
