Michigan authorities confirmed that three people were killed in a tragic vehicle pileup on westbound Interstate 96 in Livingston County, which happened around 9:47 in the morning. Michigan State Police put their blame on the icy weather, wherein frosty air and snowy ambiance caused the foggy view in the highway.
Motorists were warned around 10 in the morning that a car crash took place at the Fowlerville Road exit, and that the westbound lanes of Interstate 96 in Livingston County were all closed, the Michigan Department of Transportation said. Officials also confirmed that the initial crash involved only three vehicles before the chain of crashes began.
Weather reports also claimed that last Thursday morning, heavy snowfall caused the low visibility along the roads in Lansing. Numerous fire department trucks were present in the scene to extricate the passengers from their vehicles. Livingston County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that there were eleven victims who got injured from the vehicle pileup and were taken to the nearest hospitals for health recovery.
Reports claimed that the whiteout conditions and slippery roads endangered the vehicles and the passengers in the chain-reaction accident. The National Weather Service’s Grand Rapids office announced that there were already weather advisories and warnings along the western edge of the state, about winter storms fast approaching.
State officials had not yet released the profiles or identified the details of the victims to the public, but they would do so before the end of the week so far.
Investigation service affirmed that 40 accidents were counted in the pileup along the Lansing area, and the vehicle pileup caused the forced enclosure of the highway in either direction. The road between Fowlerville and M-52 would remain blocked until all the crashed vehicles were cleared up. According to CBS Lansing, the vehicle pileup in Michigan Interstate was the worst accident ever occurred after a series of disastrous mishaps in the previous years that resulted in road closures.
Michigan State Police warned people to be extra cautious in traveling, especially that winter is drawing near. People should also provide ample time in planning to travel by road due to poor weather conditions. The roads were becoming very slick making them unsafe to pass on, especially for the delivery trucks.
The arctic air mass had led to the lake-effect snow in the region of the Great Lakes, which could result in more accidents, the weather forecasters said.