150 vehicles involved in pileup on Michigan highway after whiteout conditions; 16 people hospitalized
LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State Police said 150 vehicles were involved in a highway pileup Saturday, leading to 16 people being transported to area hospitals, none with serious injuries.
The pileup occurred on Interstate 96 near Portland, Michigan. A series of crashes in the eastbound lanes at about 5 p.m. resulted in the freeway being closed in both directions for about five hours Saturday evening. The freeway reopened at about 10 p.m.
In a Twitter post on Sunday, the Michigan State Police Sixth District headquarters in Grand Rapids said that 84 vehicles were damaged and 66 others slid off the road but were undamaged.
There were whiteout conditions prior to the pileup but the sun was out and skies had cleared by the time Michigan State Police released an image showing the wreckage.
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State police said there were no serious injuries.
Video obtained by the Lansing State Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, showed many vehicles collided with the cable barrier separating the eastbound and westbound lanes.
Conditions quickly worsened and visibility grew poor just prior to the pileup. Some drivers bumped into guard rails, while others couldn't stop and slammed into cars ahead of them.
One man was seen leaving his car to clear scattered pieces of wreckage, allowing drivers to move forward and out of the pileup.
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A warming and family reunification center was set up at the Portland Church of the Nazarene, according to an MSP Sixth District Twitter post. Buses were used to transport those involved in crashes.
The Portland Area Fire Authority said on its Facebook page that the pileup was between mile markers 72 and 77.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Pileup on I-96 highway near Portland, Michigan: 150 vehicles involved
