Updated 9 a.m.: Icy conditions lead to crashes on expressways throughout Washtenaw County
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Editor's note: See updates at the end of the story.
The season's first snow overnight has led to crashes all over Washtenaw County's expressways this morning, dispatchers with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department said.
If you're heading out to shop or back to work, attempt to avoid I-94, US-23 and M-14 if you can.
Several busy roadways around Ann Arbor are currently closed, Ann Arbor Police Lt. Renee Bush said at 7:30 a.m.
Among them:
- I-94 at Jackson Road is closed in both directions.
- I-94 at the M-14 split is closed.
- Southbound State Street over I-94 is closed.
In addition, an accident involving at least three vehicles is slowing traffic on the bridge over I-94 on Ann Arbor-Saline Road.
Several of the crashes involve injuries, Bush said. She said all the city's available police units are at the crashes, and a total of 10 tow trucks were called to deal with the wrecks.
County dispatchers said I-94, US-23 and M-14 are a "mess," with multiple crashes on each. No serious injuries were reported, but some areas are down to one lane.
Secondary roads aren't as bad, dispatchers said.
Update at 9 a.m.: Washtenaw County dispatchers say the roadways are looking better, and most of this morning's crashes have been cleared up. However, northbound US-23 at I-94 is down to one lane and is expected to remain that way for a little longer as a crash is being cleaned up.
Update at 10:30 a.m.: Driver killed on I-94 near Chelsea after losing control on black ice, police say
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And as the morning went on, there were dozens of side road accidents too -- because people forget that we get ice and snow in Ann Arbor and drive like idiots -- I had to swerve out of the way of THREE separate such idiots this morning on Stadium who insisted on going 50 in the 35 mph zone that was slick with black ice everywhere -- even though there were three spin-outs right there -- one idiot didn't even slow down to go around the accident, he just PULLED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC to go around it and never slowed down. I am so proud of my Ann Arbor neighbors for caring about their (and my) safety.
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Posted Nov 27 2009
Of course they had to speed, they were racing to get to Black Friday sales on crappy TVs and low end laptops.
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Posted Nov 27 2009
Imagine this. It is winter in Michigan! Black ice doesn't cause accidents, driving too fast for conditions does!
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Posted Nov 27 2009
DB, I would say that black ice DOES cause accidents....the point is that people do NOT know it's there so they do not know they are driving in icy conditions. I did hear the weather man on tv last night saying the roads would be fine this AM.
That said driving TOO fast anytime can cause accidents.
And as reported on WWJ radio:
cy roads are to blame for a fatal accident and several other wrecks in Washtenaw County early Friday morning.
Michigan State Police say one man was killed on eastbound I-94 near Kalmbach Road around 6:15 a.m. Friday when the car he was driving smashed into another car that was involved in an earlier single-car accident.
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Posted Nov 27 2009