Up to 50 Cars, Gas Tanker in Multiple Wrecks Shut Down Michigan Highway: Heavy Snow Reported

December 18,2015 


 
U.S. Highway 131 was briefly closed in both directions Friday night after a series of crashes in Kent County, WOOD-TV reports.
A crash involving a gasoline tanker truck shut down northbound US-131 at Post Drive NE, authorities reported just before 5 p.m. Officials with the Plainfield Fire Department told WOOD-TV the crash was cleared just after 5:30 p.m. and northbound lanes were opened at that time.
WXMI reports that, according to Kent County Dispatch, the truck couldn't make it up an icy hill and it was hit by a couple of other cars.  No one was hurt.
A pileup involving as many as 50 vehicles shut down part of U.S. Highway 131 near Grand Rapids, Michigan Friday afternoon, the Kent County Sheriff's office reported, as heavy snow fell in the area.
Kent County Undersheriff Michelle Young said the pileup, which happened at about 2:30 p.m. local time near Cedar Springs, forced officials to close the freeway's southbound lanes. At least one serious injury has been reported, according to MLive.com.

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Dozens slide off, wreck on US-131. This is the highway at Indian Lakes. Via #ReportIt. Be careful! #TrafficAlert

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A dispatcher confirmed to WZZM-TV that authorities were responding to a multi-car crash on U.S. 131 near 17 Mile Road, just west of Cedar Springs. Whiteout conditions from heavy lake-effect snow were reported in the area of the pileup, the report added.

"Bands of lake-effect snow had developed in that area along with westerly winds of 20 to 30 mph, which would be a crosswind on Route 131," said weather.com senior meteorologist Nick Wiltgen. "Some of the heavier snow bands were leading to reports of quarter-mile visibility. Temperatures were around 27 degrees."
Numerous other accidents were reported Friday afternoon as heavy snow fell on parts of Michigan. In southwestern Michigan, snow was blamed on multiple Interstate 94 accidents Friday afternoon, according to a separate MLive.com report. Several of those incidents involved rollovers, the report added.
This is a developing story; please check back frequently for updates.
MORE: Snow Causes Problems in the West