Truck backup on nb I-75 caused fatal accident

[Bigb23]

They used to have [[still do?) that problem on EB 696 to the NB 75 ramp at rush hour. In a shop truck, and unfamiliar with the traffic at that hour, I was pacing traffic at 60 mph in the right lane when I realized that the traffic ahead was at a complete stop a 1/4 mile from the ramp entrance.
Slamming on the brakes and swerving onto the shoulder saved my ass and somebody else's.
Of course, once on the shoulder, nobody would let me merge back in.
They should of had portable warning signs or something 3/4 of a mile ahead when they knew they had a daily traffic hazard.

[sirrealone]

They used to have [[still do?) that problem on EB 696 to the NB 75 ramp at rush hour. In a shop truck, and unfamiliar with the traffic at that hour, I was pacing traffic at 60 mph in the right lane when I realized that the traffic ahead was at a complete stop a 1/4 mile from the ramp entrance.
Slamming on the brakes and swerving onto the shoulder saved my ass and somebody else's.
Of course, once on the shoulder, nobody would let me merge back in.
They should of had portable warning signs or something 3/4 of a mile ahead when they knew they had a daily traffic hazard.

What I always found in that scenario is that the entire freeway would end up slowing down. The people getting over from the right to the right-center lane would slow both lanes down, then people from the right-center lane would get over to avoid that, and so on and so forth until all four lanes were slowed/stopped around that interchange, especially since there are usually high traffic volumes as well. It's a pain to stop there especially if you're going as through traffic, but I guess it's probably better than having these types of accidents if only one lane were to stop.

I guess traffic volumes aren't as high on the I-75 stretch to where that cascading slowdown across all lanes takes place.

That's awful and as a father to a two year old son, that a two year old died as well is especially heartbreaking.

[Blueidone]

Gannon....thanks for that perspective. As I said, I am not too familiar with that area, although I have been through there before. I withdraw my concern of the driver's lack of attention.

Bigb...it's still like that...every day. I used to work in Southfield and lived in Warren. I travelled that section every day. The ramps from Woodward and Campbell/Hilton and the exit ramp to I-75 are all too close together. You have people trying to exit to I-75 moving to the right, and people coming onto the freeway from the cross streets trying to go to the left. Plus you have the back up that results every time there is heavy traffic getting onto I-75. There is an accident there generally every day, at least one, during the afternoon rush.