Over 100 vehicles were involved in a massive pile-up due to heavy snowfall, causing chaos for drivers in the United States. The incident occurred on Monday, January 19 in Michigan, where the state was blanketed by snow.
As a result, Interstate 196 near Grand Rapids was shut down by Michigan State Police. More than 30 trucks were deployed for the clean-up operation, with several injuries reported but thankfully no fatalities, The Mirror reports.
Pedro Mata Jr. , one of the drivers caught up in the incident, described how visibility was severely reduced due to the snow blowing across the road.
He managed to stop his pickup safely and moved it off the road to avoid being hit from behind. Recalling the terrifying experience, Mata said: “It was a little scary just listening to everything, the bangs and booms behind you. I saw what was in front of me. I couldn’t see what was behind me exactly.”
Weather warnings have been issued across the country as the winter storm continues to cause disruption, with potential storms forecasted from northern Minnesota through to Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.
Meteorologists issued warnings that overnight temperatures on Monday would plummet below freezing across large swathes of north-central Florida and southeast Georgia. Meanwhile, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s office in Michigan confirmed receiving numerous reports of collisions, with many vehicles skidding off roadways.
Motorists found themselves marooned, with bus services transporting them to Hudsonville High School where they could arrange assistance. The affected road is expected to remain closed for several hours whilst clearance operations take place.
One firm alone, Grand Valley Towing, has dispatched over a dozen recovery vehicles as part of the response effort. Multiple towing firms are collaborating to tackle the consequences of the pile-up incident.
The Manager of Grand Valley stated: “We’re trying to get as many vehicles out of there as quickly as possible, so we can get the road opened back up.”