Drivers still slipping, sliding and crashing; dozens of accidents plague Washtenaw County roads
Crashes continue to plague area roads and freeways in Washtenaw County in the aftermath of Sunday's winter storm.
The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department and Michigan State Police have dealt with dozens of wrecks on freeways and county roads so far today, a county dispatcher said. He couldn't give an exact figure but said 50 would be a rough estimate. He said crews were handling 12 crashes alone at 12:40 p.m. "There's no end in sight," he said.
Heather Kofkeegger, left, and Serena Wang, both of Ann Arbor, inspect their car after running into the ditch on US-23 during the Sunday snowstorm in Fenton.
John M. Galloway | Associated Press
Many of those crashes were near I-94 and US-23 in Pittsfield Township and on I-94 near Chelsea.
Michigan State Police Trooper Nolan Przybylo of the Ypsilanti post said he had personally responded to 12 crashes on area freeways today. Two other troopers on duty had handled a similar number. The good news: None of those crashes resulted in serious injuries.
Przybylo said road conditions are rapidly improving as the sun helps melt snow and ice on the roadway. Earlier today, salt wasn't having much of an impact because temperatures were barely above the single digits.
In the meantime, the trooper repeated a common refrain for drivers: Slow down and leave plenty of room between your vehicle and the one ahead of you.
"Braking is not going to happen as fast as you want it to," he said.
He also advised drivers not to let themselves be distracted by other crashes or anything else. "Pay attention to the road. While you're looking around, everybody else is slowing down and then when you look up, it's too late to stop," he said.
Comments
Killroy
Thu, Dec 16, 2010 : 2:38 p.m.
@ Tom Joad, Work=Money. Go to work. Seriously.
blahblahblah
Tue, Dec 14, 2010 : 12:40 a.m.
Just got back from the Vikings/Giants game in Detroit. I-94 was a sheet of ice between downtown Detroit and the airport.
dfossil
Tue, Dec 14, 2010 : 12:26 a.m.
I agree with all the safety comments and, for pete's sake, turn on your headlights when it snows!!! What's wrong with you? Do you think you are saving energy or the light bulbs??? I can't see you and if you go into that ditch, no one can see you there either!
Sallyxyz
Tue, Dec 14, 2010 : 12:15 a.m.
I guess I'm confused as to why the road maintenance is not happening more quickly during the day today, given that the snow stopped on Sunday night. 24 hours later, and the roads are still a mess. What is going on? What did the plow and salt trucks do all day, and why aren't they using sand instead of salt, since salt doesn't work in low temperatures? Hoping for the sun to melt the ice and snow off the roads is not a workable snow removal strategy. How many trucks does the city of A2 have? I've read about the number of trucks the county has (46, and 6 are broken last I read). I don't think there are enough trucks, either the county or the city. When I lived in Minneapolis a couple years ago, I can tell you that those plows and salt trucks were out in full force all winter long. I never drove on snowy streets except during a big storm. During the winter, the city plows ran all night and they kept all the main streets in the city very well plowed. Why is this not possible in A2 with all the high taxes everyone pays?
stunhsif
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 7:33 p.m.
Snow tires folks!!! And better driving skills brought on by more stringent testing for one's drivers license.
Ann English
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 7:19 p.m.
When I first went on M-14 yesterday, there were far fewer cars than usual on it and everybody seemed to be driving more slowly than usual. Fifty miles per hour didn't annoy faster motorists. But this morning, going in the opposite direction on M-14, everybody was averaging 40 mph, so I did too. When I got on eastbound I-94 from Jackson Road, 40 mph was also the norm, and we drove close to one another only because the freeway was crowded, not because there was an accident ahead. Perhaps the exit ramp from westbound I-94 to Jackson Road was dry later today because the melted snow and ice on it evaporated. Reporters, have you considered that possibility? On TV, they were saying that ice and snow melted by salting earlier would all freeze tonight, not that any would evaporate.
loves_fall
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 7:17 p.m.
Yeah, the roundabouts are kinda humorous. When I first approached mine, I didn't know why everyone was taking so long to get into it. Then I realized that accelerate as I may, the ice at the entry point was so thick that going forward was a tough task to accomplish and it took about 45 seconds of gentle guidance to get into the circle. Other than that, didn't find anything too slick. Everyone seemed to be driving reasonably.
shepard145
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 5:42 p.m.
Would be great to see the Washtenaw County and City of Ann Arbor as concerned with road safety after a snow storm as they are with our use of cell phones! Interesting how the need to spend our tax dollars on services that we need becomes a lower priority as the economy worsens.
Dog Guy
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 5:40 p.m.
Winter crashes--nature's traffic calming.
trs80
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 5:25 p.m.
@noreaster. Sarcasm. Dont cry.
KJMClark
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 4:59 p.m.
This points out part of what people don't understand about lack of funding for road agencies. It becomes *your* responsibility to take care of yourself. In this case, it means you really should go out and buy a set of snow tires. If you're driving around on summer tires, you're being irresponsible. That was OK when WCRC had plenty of money, but since people won't pay for better road upkeep, we're all supposed to pay with better tires.... And, we're all supposed to expect to pay with longer driving times. When the weather is bad, the first thing you should do is slow way down. I was on M-14 and I-94 yesterday, and was astounded at the number of people trying to drive more than 50mph. (They'd keep getting in the left lane to pass, start fishtailing and wobbling around, slow down, and then slowly pass.) The speed limits are for clear, dry driving conditions, not ice and packed and drifting snow. Again, if people aren't willing to pay for the road agencies to keep the roads completely clear, we all get to pay with our time, since it's unsafe to drive as fast as we do in the summer. And the road budgets keep getting worse...
Kathleen
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 4:25 p.m.
The hill between Green and Plymouth just after the roundabout was so slippery this afternoon I could not get up it! And I have new tires! Thank goodness a kind-hearted person pushed me up the hill until I could get traction! Thank you for being so helpful!
capersdaddy
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 4:21 p.m.
Speaking of sliding...my kudos to the City of A2. Driving home last night Sunday, I saw someone had slid on Platte approaching Huron Pkwy and took out the crosswalk signal. Tried calling the city's sign and street lights office, no answer (it's Sunday, understandable). The crosswalk signal remained connected to power, but was laying on the ground with exposed wires - as "inappropriate" as i felt to call 911, i did and they nicely noted the incident. At 7:15AM this morning, I saw the signal had been wrapped in a plastic bag. By noon, the crosswalk was fully standing and in order, as well as the "no turn on red" sign that i hadn't seen on the ground until this morning. A very fast response and repair - on such a difficult and chock full day. Nice job.
noreaster
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 3:27 p.m.
@trs80 Last I knew it was the county road commission that maintains the US and interstate routes outside city limits. Are you blaming the city for the fact that these roads exist? Oh, and when did the city become a person?
Sarah
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 3:24 p.m.
Well, given that many businesses are open and there are better uses of vacation days, not all of us can stay home. Still, the ice on Packard in Pittsfield Township was sure a not-so-lovely surprise this morning. Glad there have been no serious injuries in today's crashes.
rusty shackelford
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 3:23 p.m.
It is slippery out here! I probably shouldn't be reading this on my iphone while I'm driving.
fremdfirma
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 2:56 p.m.
Oh yes, and for the love of mercy, why oh why do people in such conditions SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES? Sure, if the person following you has left enough room, they probably won't hit you - but if you must slow down just let off the gas, I've seen more spinouts and slides yesterday cause by that alone than any other factor, people reacting to a momentary slip by panic braking. Also, slowing down is an excellent idea, but if you go too slow you will not maintain enough forward momentum and will get stuck, which not only puts you in a bad spot, it endangers the drivers behind you and forces them to choose between the risk of also getting stuck, or the even riskier idea of going around you, which seems to be the secondmost cause of spins, slides and wrecks, since many people are unfortunately impatient. Of course, staying off the roads unless you absolutely MUST travel is probably the best idea of all, but I think we're all a little guilty when it comes to that, self included.
Tom Joad
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 2:33 p.m.
Icy Roads= DEATH Stay home, seriously.
TheGerman
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 1:52 p.m.
Driving to Detroit took 2.5 hours this morning. I-96 East was a single sheet of ice. Amazing though, once I passed the Detroit City Limits sign, the freeway was perfect.
DonBee
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 1:43 p.m.
If you don't have to go out, don't. If you do, leave lots and lots of room in front of you. All of the roads that I traveled are slippery, even ones that look like they are clear.
trs80
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 1:39 p.m.
Only perosns to blame is City of Ann Arbor.
Ignatz
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 1:36 p.m.
I made the mistake of taking Westbound I-94 from Huron to Michigan Ave. this morning around 9 am. I probably averaged about 5 MPH. Most drivers were being responsible, but I saw a few who drove very close to other vehicles. They would not have time to stop on dry pavement, let alone the icy conditions then.