The massive pile-up forced Michigan State Police to shut down both directions of Interstate 196, southwest of Grand Rapids, as crews worked to clear the wreckage, including more than 30 semi-trailer trucks
More than 100 vehicles collided with one another or slid off an interstate highway in Michigan on Monday as a snowstorm made driving conditions “treacherous” across the US state.
The massive pile-up forced Michigan State Police to shut down both directions of Interstate 196, southwest of Grand Rapids, as crews worked to clear the wreckage, including more than 30 semi-trailer trucks.
Police said numerous people were injured in the crashes, but none of the injuries were believed to be fatal.
Images and videos shared on social media and published by local outlets showed trucks and cars piled along a snow-covered stretch of the highway.
The incident is the latest disruption caused by a powerful winter storm sweeping across the United States.
The National Weather Service has issued warnings for extremely cold temperatures and possible winter storms across several states, from northern Minnesota through Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and into New York.
One motorist, Pedro Mata Jr, told The Associated Press that blowing snow severely reduced visibility as he drove at about 32–40 km/h (20–25 mph) before reaching the crash scene. He managed to stop safely and pulled into the median to avoid being hit from behind.
“It was a little scary just hearing everything the bangs and booms behind you. I could see what was in front of me, but I couldn’t see what was behind me,” Mata said.
Authorities urged drivers to slow down as the winter storm continued to dump snow across the region, with temperatures expected to fall as low as minus 22 degrees Celsius (minus 8 degrees Fahrenheit), including wind chill.
Forecasters also warned that freezing temperatures could occur overnight into Tuesday across much of north-central Florida and southeastern Georgia.
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