Police Issue 20 Citations Following Deadly I-94 Pileups; Drivers Going Too Fast
HARTFORD, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - Authorities have issued citations to 20 drivers following a series of crashes along snowy Interstate 94 in southwestern Michigan earlier this month that left two people dead.
State police First Lt. Dale Hinz told the Kalamazoo Gazette that citations were mailed this week to the drivers of four commercial vehicles and 16 passenger vehicles.
"This crash is a vivid illustration of the dangers of traveling too fast on icy and snowy roads," said Hinz.
The Van Buren County prosecutor's office also is reviewing the crashes to determine whether any criminal charges will be authorized in connection with the deaths.
Police say 54-year-old driver Andrew Griesemer and his mother, 78-year-old Carol Griesemer, died following the crashes. They were from the Detroit suburb of Northville.
Police said nine vehicles were involved in the Jan. 17 crash near Hartford in the eastbound lanes of I-94 before two semi-trucks collided, causing a pileup of more than 40 cars and trucks. Another crash involved 12 vehicles in the westbound lanes.
More than a dozen people were injured, including a Van Buren County deputy who was struck by a vehicle while outside his patrol car rendering first aid.
Police say drivers were going too fast in white-out conditions.
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