It seems like this winter has been one big blizzard after another, bringing delays and fouling up the roads. During one such snow storm on January 9th, there was a crash that involved 193 vehicles. It was a domino effect brought on by icy roads, low visibility, and –according to investigators– drivers who were going too fast for the conditions. That’s why the Michigan State Police announced that they are issuing tickets to 58 people involved in the pileup for driving too fast in unsafe conditions.
The pileup was actually two separate accidents that started about 5 minutes apart. The first accident occurred in the eastbound lanes when a commercial truck rear-ended a van, causing the van to collide with a car. By the time it ended, 60 vehicles were involved in the accident including a tanker filled with liquid formic acid that had overturned next to a truck loaded with fireworks. They both caught fire, resulting in a huge blaze and an evacuation order.
The second accident occurred when drivers who were distracted by the accident on the other side of the road weren’t paying proper attention, which resulted in an even larger pile-up of their own affecting 133 vehicles.
Together, the two accidents claimed one driver’s life, and injured a total of 23 people including five emergency workers.
After two months of investigation, police have determined that 63 drivers should be cited for their part in the accident. Speeding tickets went to 58 people, 3 drivers were cited for driving without insurance, one driver for driving without a license, and one for driving without a proper license plate.
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Source: cbslocal, fox, freep, torontosun, overdrive
Michael Hofmann says
The article doesn’t display the number of truckers and civilian drivers and the results individually. How many trailers were struck in the rear? The unsafe practice of limiters/governors foster the accordian effect, left lane penalties generate bottlenecks and power restrictions steal the trucks power to accelerate out of a black ice slide, or pass in a timely safe fashion, all to save the carrier a few cents on fuel. This articles implication is clear, no matter what, truckers are held responsible even for the worst civilian acts of vehicular stupidity.
Jason says
Where in this article does it place any blame on truckers? The sole exception being the mention of the trucker that rear-ended a van… Yea, we get blamed for things most of the time, but the only implication on this page of truckers being at fault comes from you and you alone.
Elizabeth says
I’ve been driving a governed truck for six years with zero accidents, and that includes A LOT of icy weather. Governors have no effect on the ability to accelerate out of a skid on black ice, provided you’ve appropriately slowed for the conditions. Every rookie knows you don’t barrel along in bad weather and wait until a problem occurs to slow down. Yes, governors cause bottlenecks, and yes, non-professional drivers need far more thorough training on how to safely drive around rigs, but you undercut your own credibility when you make that claim about black ice. Regarding passing in a safe, timely manner, more drivers need to start using the terrain to their advantage. If you have a heavy load, wait for a downhill to pass, opposite for a light load. Most importantly, you guys without governors need to start pretending to be professionals and stop accelerating when you see a governed truck trying to pass. Generally I’ll follow someone for about 5 miles before I decide to get out there and pass, in case they slowed for something I can’t see and will be speeding back up. Nine times out of ten the driver of the other truck will smirk into his mirror and speed up after I get out there. To be honest, I find it rather pathetic. I’m just trying to do a job same as you. If you’ve reduced your speed to save fuel and increase your profits, I lose all respect for that action when you go putting your pride ahead of your business by speeding up so I can’t pass. It’s dangerous, but of course the driver in the left lane is always to blame.
Let’s be professionals, guys.
Lance says
Right on all counts – – that’s what I do, same as you.
Corbett says
As I was always told if you drive in a snow storm ice story,wind rain storm. A commercial driver’ who is in an accident. Can and will be cited for driving in unsafe conditions. As for how many none comercail drivers there are not subject to the same rules.
Kai says
There’s nothing from this report except from the initial truck rear-ending a van. And governors? Tell me where in this article driving faster would prevent the accident. LOL
d jones says
I got blown off the road. I still got blamed. Done with driving.
Lance says
From the national reports, a woman said “everyone was going 45 mph” – – that is way too fast for those icy conditions. 30 mph would have been more appropriate until one could get off the highway and shut down since the state does a lousy job of maintaining the roads anymore. Everyone is in just too much of a hurry – – didn’t do them much good, they never made it at all. I have been out there 40 years and 4 million miles with no tickets or chargeables. I can also tell you people had more common sense 40 years ago.
Lou says
You got that last part right! I’m up in northern Canada; Lotta airheads out there.
Graham Cook says
I’m a truck driver and I blame the truck drivers. I was going 35 in the left lane and getting passed by semi’s going 65. I knew their was no way a pile up wouldn’t occur with the way those jackasses were driving. The whole road was hard packed snow with no salt, which might aswell be ice and visibility was awful. I really don’t know what people’s plan was.
Ron says
63 Drivers? Can you say “Cha-Ching ” The Michigan state Police need the maney plain & simple. The state of Michigan needs the money also. It’s called theft by deception…the government is good at it…and YOU,and I pay the bill ! I got off the road when the weather got bad,until it got better.
kevin says
what some are not saying, or knowing, is traveling on that stretch of I94 east and west it’s a blind drop going west you top an incline and if your on ice you were not stopping coming east is the same way.i travel that road everyday i own my truck and have it governed as well those factors have nothing to do with it.
you have to drive offensively or defense,
however someone has to place blame on someone rather than say that the first guy that got hit was traveling too defensively and was the actual start to the pile up
and i don’t care how they investigated it on ice them cars that topped that hill and hit brakes would have automatically shot out like rockets on that ice.
so to come out and say any one person (‘s) were at fault is just to please the over burdened insurance companies who have been continuiously frauded by the losers who drive our roads with no insurance.
i don’t here that the car that got hit first pulled out on the highway and slowed to a stop in traffic lanes and then moved over when he was hit causing the trucker to hit next and as a result the chain reaction down in that drop nobody could see that far ahead over a hill that day to stop down hill on ice that’s a fact.
and of course how convenient that they did leave out who were the folks who recieved citations after all it should be public record.