Massive Car Pile UP In Michigan With a Fireworks Transport And A Tanker Truck.

Haven't seen this kind of Caos on a highway for about a week now. They still don't know the death toll but its one ugly mess for sure.

abcnews.go.com...
news.yahoo.com...
www.freep.com...

What a mess myself and the wife (YogaGinns) send all our prayers and good vibes to our unfortunate neighbours to the south of us.
From what I have read the weather most likely a major factor.

Regards, Iwinder

a reply to: Iwinder

That. Is. Crazy.

Prayers

a reply to: Shamrock6
Its nuts for sure, fireworks and combustible fuel and a white out on the highway......
"The Perfect Storm"

Regards, Iwinder

That was neat, I saw it on the news. It would have been great to see that happening in person.


OOPs, I feel sorry for the people that got hurt and the person who died. I let my excitement override my compassion again. I must have some of those high function autism genes where I don't respond correctly to the situation. Hmmm. That's a good excuse, I have to use that in real life. On the flip side, if I was there I would be helping everyone out even if it would endanger my life.

originally posted by: Iwinder
From what I have read the weather most likely a major factor.

I'm not too far from where this happened. It's been snowing here almost non-stop for the past week straight. There have been a couple clipper systems that brought some snow, and then the lake-effect snow machine would churn right behind the clippers. Add on top of that 25-35mph winds blowing the snow and causing white-outs.

I took some pictures of an incoming squall-line of lake-effect snow on the way home from work yesterday. Looks like a wall of snow incoming:






And starting to drive into it:

originally posted by: _BoneZ_

originally posted by: Iwinder
From what I have read the weather most likely a major factor.

I'm not too far from where this happened. It's been snowing here almost non-stop for the past week straight. There have been a couple clipper systems that brought some snow, and then the lake-effect snow machine would churn right behind the clippers. Add on top of that 25-35mph winds blowing the snow and causing white-outs.

I took some pictures of an incoming squall-line of lake-effect snow on the way home from work yesterday. Looks like a wall of snow incoming:

And starting to drive into it:

Excellent post and many many thanks for the pics, we live on Lake Huron and let me tell you I can relate to a "Streamer" or Lake affect snow when you are driving. I have come to a complete stop on a highway knowing full well I might get rear ended. There is nothing else to do but stop and its most nerve racking just waiting for the big hit in the rear.

Beautiful pictures that relay the seriousness of the situation.
Regards, Iwinder

a reply to: _BoneZ_

Awesome pics man! That's pretty crazy to be able to see it coming for you like that

I saw this on the news up here this morning. Surprisingly, it seems only 1 person was killed, a trucker from Canada. I feel for his family, but I'm relieved the death toll was so low.

From what I have read the weather most likely a major factor.

More like peoples disrespect for the weather, they simply don't want to slow down.

R.I.P for the one, and good health for the rest of them...

originally posted by: Mianeye

From what I have read the weather most likely a major factor.

More like peoples disrespect for the weather, they simply don't want to slow down.

R.I.P for the one, and good health for the rest of them...

Have you ever hit a "White Out" on the Freeway or as we call it in Canada the Highway?
One second all traffic is humming along and within a couple of hundred yards you hit a white wall, toss is some black ice and nowhere to pull over to and you have a problem.



Hit the two minute mark to see what I am talking about......your in trouble if you stop and your in trouble if you keep going.
I agree with you on good health to the survivors. :-)
Regards, Iwinder

a reply to: Iwinder

Yes i am aware of white outs and black ice, and when you get in to your vehicle when those a possible you should think about if it's wise to drive.

But 170 vehicles in a pileup is not solely because of the weather, the speed is most likely a bigger factor, those trucks don't stop easily, the cars might get to a full stop, only to be rammed from behind by a truck.

But everyone is in a hurry or just simply got to get to their destination no matter what, and then accidents like this are unavoidable.

It will happen again as people take their chances even though it might cost them their life or taking someone else's life, it's just one of those things that could be avoided but is not.

But, i don't really blame anyone it's just the way it is....

About a week or two before this accident, the Michigan State Police were on TV talking about how everyone out on the highways were driving way too fast for conditions, like it was a clear sunny summer's day, not the middle of winter. Apparently, no one on the roads were using any common sense with their speed or car spacing.

I think that people are over confident and in a hurry to get to their jobs before they get fired for missing a day, and truck drivers are always on a schedule with hell to pay if late. It sure seemed like the worst of times to travel with fireworks and hazardous materials in a big rig at any rate.

I'm willing to bet a number of people in that pile up got fired or docked for missing work that day. Just goes to prove how you can die in the rat race and how the slaves are willing to take a hit to keep their slave wage jobs.

What good is your job when your car is destroyed and you are in the hospital with Obama Care sized bills, or in the ground pushing up daisies? Dying cost a bunch of money too, more burden on the survivors of your mistakes on that day.

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

See it all the time man. People think because they have a truck or suv that means they're expert drivers or something. Amazes me the speeds people are going before they get into a wreck of some sort.

Glad to see you again buck!

a reply to: Shamrock6

Thanks, been braving the winter to cut firewood, I have some more to do today. I won't have enough to pay off the electric bill though, but they can't legally shut me off till spring. They will probably put in the shut-off meter and keep their finger on the kill switch, just waiting for the moment to shut me off.

The loggers are the big hold-up for me, can't trust them to do anything on time. It's hard to believe they have an A rating with the BBB. I held a flame to the logger's ass and he promises to get on it by the end of the month (I bitched then gave the old lady her turn, she fired both barrels).

I hope this crappy weather isn't going to screw me again this year, the swamp needs to be frozen to cut it.
Totally off-topic I know, except it is weather related.

Apparently there was also a pile up on US 23 outside of Ann Arbor.

Southbound U.S. 23 was shut down between Willis and Plank roads and was expected to be well into Friday evening as crews clean up. There was a diesel gas spill crews were contending with, as well. Allen said there were 12 semis and 15 passenger vehicles involved in the crash.

www.mlive.com...

Don't forget the 20 car pileup north of South Bend on 31. I live in that area and 94 from Benton Harbor to Galesburg is a major lake effect snow area. By Paw Paw and Lawton it's usually the worst but the lake effect fingers move and and dump inches per hour. If it hadn't been for the fireworks it would have never made the news it happens so often. They didn't get the road back open till noon Saturday at least that was their goal and they updated it to 190 vehicles.

This clip shows how it starts...
Just horrible.


theconcourse.deadspin.com... eadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

Here's the new reports,

originally posted by: MichiganSwampBuck
I think that people are over confident and in a hurry to get to their jobs before they get fired for missing a day, and truck drivers are always on a schedule with hell to pay if late.

196 & 131 through downtown Grand Rapids are a crash course in white-knuckle driving for the uninitiated. I thought drivers on I-275 in Tampa were bad, but the folks bat-out-of-helling it around those highways in GR are worse.

Here in the burbs, people seem to be very mindful on the roads in towns. It's the highways where people apparently lose braincells and go into moron mode full force. If this is what it's like on 'em up here in winter, it's good incentive for us to stay off the highways entirely.

originally posted by: Mianeye

From what I have read the weather most likely a major factor.

More like peoples disrespect for the weather, they simply don't want to slow down.

R.I.P for the one, and good health for the rest of them...

I agree, having driven in this kind of weather before I am stunned at the speed people maintain!