Snow And Ice Cause Hundreds Of Accidents, 1 Death, Close 12 Mile Stretch Of I-75
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - State police closing a 12 mile stretch of I-75 in the Birch Run area late Monday night.
A twenty-car pile-up blamed on slippery, icy road conditions appear to be the basis for the multi-car collisions.
Cindy Dingell is with the Wayne County Road Commission and she offers some driving tips:
"It's just slick and ... snow covered conditions happening," said Dingell. "You know we are advising folks to just be very cautious out there especially on the bridges, exits and overpasses."
In other areas snowy and icy conditions have caused hundreds of accidents around Michigan and at least one death as icing and blustery winds made travel hazardous.
WJRW-AM and MLive.com report rollover and other crashes around western Michigan. State police say one person died in a Monday evening crash in Kalamazoo County's Alamo Township, northwest of Kalamazoo.
The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids says high temperatures in Michigan made it only into the mid-30s Monday, with gusty winds adding to the chill and the difficult driving.
Shoppers sheltered in tents as they waited outside a Muskegon Best Buy store for holiday specials.
The weather service says more snow is ahead in many areas and says the Ironwood area could get 7-10 inches of accumulation through Tuesday because of the lake effect.
Dingell says they responded quickly with dozens of salt trucks on the roads:
"We did have about 75 out there at the peak," she said.
Know before you go: Keep it tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for traffic and weather, every 10 minutes on the 8s. Check the CBS Detroit weather page for the extended forecast and up-to-the-minute information.
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