Michigan winters almost always seem to lead to at least one major interstate pileup, and the first big one of the season has now taken place. Roughly 40 vehicles crashed into each other in a tangled mess on Highway 31.
No one was killed in the accident, but multiple injuries were reported. At least one vehicle that was in the crash was a police squad car.
Reports did note that many people also tried to take evasive action, even if it was too late to actually stop when they saw the devastation ahead of them. Many just slammed on the brakes and steered into the ditch, opting to bury their cars in the snow on the sides of the road to keep from smashing into the cars already stopped on the ice-covered pavement.
Of course, that still put them at risk of being hit by other drivers who tried to do the same thing.
Frightening videos from the scene show the crash in progress. One man filmed as much as he could from inside his car, after he’d already slid off the road himself. Vehicles appeared seemingly out of nowhere in the snow, one after the other after the other. Many were sliding sideways and unable to slow down in time, fully out of control. The man’s car was hit repeatedly while he filmed.
Amazingly, some people actually got out of their cars after crashing, increasing the risk of being injured by another car.
Not all accidents are this dramatic, but this is a good reminder of the hazards of winter driving and shows why it’s important to know your legal options if you’re injured in a wreck.
Source: The Drive, “A 40-Car Pile-Up Closed Highway for Three Hours,” Basir Kahn, Jan. 02, 2018
