Breaking News: Massive Accident at 75 & Springwells

**MizMotown** · January-31-13, 10:55 AM

9:42 AM - Traffic incident on Southbound I-75 at Springwells
Location: Southbound I-75/at Springwells
Crash
This incident involves 15 vehicles, and affects All Lanes. The road is closed.

Numerous ambulance requested. Possible fatality.

**detroitsgwenivere** · January-31-13, 11:12 AM

There are literally a dozen ambulances and a fleet of helicopters out here. Both sides of the freeway are down, so nobody is going anywhere for a few hours. Looks like a car accordion. 2 children have been injured. Head shaking.

**lpg** · January-31-13, 11:23 AM

Bad visibility due to snow and wind. Slippery spots. No need to slow down.

**Crumbled_pavement** · January-31-13, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by lpg

Bad visibility due to snow and wind. Slippery spots. No need to slow down.

If you slow down a thread might get made about you and you'll be accused of having bald tires and not maintaining your vehicle properly.

**MizMotown** · January-31-13, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by lpg

Bad visibility due to snow and wind. Slippery spots. No need to slow down.

Slow down? What's that?! Way too many selfish idiots out there on the roads that think they are invincible.

I'm grateful for flex work hours. I try to arrive at work by 6:30 am in Mid-town area from Westland each morning only to do my best to avoid the onslaught of trucks and speeders on 94. When I mean speeders I mean folks who HAVE to drive 70 mph right on your ass in a down-pour. Not to mention having to slide on to the freeway between numerous trucks traveling a measly 3 lanes as everyone is switching lanes, braking, and talking on the phone. Half the time it's like playing Frogger with a prayer. Try to avoid rush hour like the plague.

**Gannon** · January-31-13, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by Crumbled_pavement

If you slow down a thread might get made about you and you'll be accused of having bald tires and not maintaining your vehicle properly.

True, that.

I cannot stop watching the coveage of this mess.

Drove my honey to the airport a few hours earlier, they got a white-out at the airport while I was driving away. I spent a while watching the sunrise on Belle Isle, but noticed the skyline was almost completely obliterated with the storm moving through. Made it home an hour before this happened.

It is just an amazing accident, the State Police say they don't expect the freeway to be open before midnight.

God help those involved...23 degrees outside. Why can't I see anyone's breath on any of the video?

**Gannon** · January-31-13, 11:46 AM

This happens on this stretch of road roughly once every decade...

**Meddle** · January-31-13, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by detroitsgwenivere

There are literally a dozen ambulances

Where did EMS get a dozen serviceable units?

**Danny** · January-31-13, 12:22 PM

Attention drivers, this is not NASCAR or INDY 500, slowdown when driving through icy or wet roads.

**ptero** · January-31-13, 12:29 PM

MSP seems to be reporting fatalities of three children and one adult[[woman?) - not necessarily all from a single vehicle. They are questioning whether the kids were strapped in/secured. So sad.

Another station is saying two adults and a child have passed w/a possible second child.

One ambulance from a private service happened to be in the middle of the pileup and they were able to start some triage. At least 5 more ambulances were dispatched and provided transport from that private service.

**Funaho** · January-31-13, 12:38 PM

My gf and I got caught in the aftermath of this on the way to work this morning. It took me about two hours to get her to work in Allen Park...over an hour and a half just to get off the freeway and then another half hour slowly crawling through bumper-to-bumper traffic on Fort.

It's a good thing my job has some schedule flexibility...not only was I over two hours late, but I was already running 15-20 min late this morning and if I had gotten on the road on time we probably would have been in the accident instead of just stuck behind it.

**Pam** · January-31-13, 12:41 PM

WWJ just said 3 deaths. Earlier they reported all the victims had been taken to hospitals, so no one is left in the vehicles.

They also just said it is a "level 3 hazmat" situation and 35 vehicles were involved including semis.

**Meddle** · January-31-13, 01:26 PM

USA Today has it as 3 kids and 1 adult.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...crash/1880247/

**cla1945** · January-31-13, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Where did EMS get a dozen serviceable units?

The Medic Units were from private ambulance companies, the medical center and some Detroit EMS.

**mtburb** · January-31-13, 02:54 PM

And I just heard of another massive accident, this one involving 20 cars and several semis at US 23 & Thompson Road south of Flint. No deaths, but probably some injuries.

**MizMotown** · January-31-13, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by mtburb

And I just heard of another massive accident, this one involving 20 cars and several semis at US 23 & Thompson Road south of Flint. No deaths, but probably some injuries.

According to MDOT it's [[2) vehicles.

]Traffic incident on US-23- Go To
1:16 PM - Traffic incident on Northbound and southbound US-23 after Thompson Road involving 2 vehicles affecting All Lanes. The road is closed.

**wstevens** · January-31-13, 03:16 PM

One of the odd differences in the US and Canada is the way people drive on freeways..if you drive the 401 generally slower traffic on the right fast traffic on the left..if you drive slow in the left lane people will flash lights honk give finger etc..I don't see that pattern on Michigan highways it's like being in the wild west...does anyone else see that difference and have an idea of why?

**Islandman** · January-31-13, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by wstevens

One of the odd differences in the US and Canada is the way people drive on freeways..if you drive the 401 generally slower traffic on the right fast traffic on the left..if you drive slow in the left lane people will flash lights honk give finger etc..I don't see that pattern on Michigan highways it's like being in the wild west...does anyone else see that difference and have an idea of why?

Hmmm, sure about that?
http://o.canada.com/2013/01/25/photo...nt-on-the-401/

And it is not the first time this has happened on the 401. I was actually looking for the really, really bad one that happened a few years back.

**TKshreve** · January-31-13, 04:17 PM

I always here people from MI saying they hate people who don't know how to drive in the snow.

What I would like to know is are they referring to the people who drive too fast in the snow, or the people who drive too slow in the snow?

If you asked 50 people this question, you would most likely get a very mixed bag of responses.

**5speedz34** · January-31-13, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by Islandman

Hmmm, sure about that?
http://o.canada.com/2013/01/25/photo...nt-on-the-401/

And it is not the first time this has happened on the 401. I was actually looking for the really, really bad one that happened a few years back.

This one is from 1999 and is on the Wikipedia page for the 401.

**jackie5275** · January-31-13, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Where did EMS get a dozen serviceable units?

Probably private, but Lincoln Park & River Rouge are near by who may have sent some too.

**Islandman** · January-31-13, 04:22 PM

That's the one, 5speedz34.

"Carnage Alley"

The 87-vehicle pile up on September 3, 1999

The section of Highway 401 between Windsor and London has often been referred to as Carnage Alley, in reference to the numerous accidents that have occurred throughout its history. The term became more commonplace following several deadly pileups during the 1990s.^[8] The narrow and open grass median was an ineffective obstacle in preventing cross-median collisions. The soft shoulders consisted of gravel with a sharp slope which was blamed for facilitating vehicle rollovers.^[106] The nature of that section of highway, described as largely a straight road with a featureless agricultural landscape, was said to make drivers feel less involved and lose focus on the road. Several accidents resulted from motorists deviating from their lane and losing control of their vehicles.^[107]^[108]
Various other names, including The Killer Highway circulated for a time,^[109] but Carnage Alley became predominant following an 87-vehicle pile-up on September 3, 1999 [[the start of Labour Day weekend), the worst in Canadian history, that resulted in eight deaths and 45 injured individuals.^[110]
Only a few days prior, then-Transportation Minister David Turnbull had deemed the highway "pleasant" to drive.^[111] On the morning of September 3, the local weather station reported clear conditions due to a malfunction,^[110] while a thick layer of fog rolled onto the highway. Dozens of vehicles including several semi-trailers quickly crashed into each other shortly after 8 a.m., one following another in the dense fog, and the accumulating wreckage caught traffic traveling in the opposite direction.^[112]^[113] Immediately following the accident, the MTO installed paved shoulders with rumble strips^[114] and funded additional police to patrol the highway, a move criticized as being insufficient.^[115]
Beginning in 2004, 46 km [[29 mi) of the highway was widened from four asphalt lanes to six concrete lanes, paved shoulders were added, a concrete Ontario Tall Wall median was installed,^[116] which was the solution that the Canadian Automobile Association promoted in 1999.^[108] Interchanges were improved and signage was upgraded as part of a five-phase project to improve Highway 401 from Highway 3 in Windsor to Essex County Road 42 [[formerly Highway 2) on the western edge of Tilbury.^[24]

**Meddle** · January-31-13, 04:45 PM

Don't they drive on the other side of the road in them ferrin' countries anywho?

There was one up there not too long ago with some Fire trucks

**MrNittany** · January-31-13, 05:25 PM

Snow and ice are tough. Fog can be REALLY horrible [[Windsor in 1999, Tennessee on I-75 in 1990, East of Lansing on I-96 in 2005, Gainesville Florida just about a year ago).

I tend to avoid the freeways and stick to surface roads in snow and ice. Fog, absolutely forget it, I'll wait til the sun burns it off.

**Zacha341** · January-31-13, 06:43 PM

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/20...thwest-detroit

I was on 94 on the way from A2 one night and drove into a sudden blinding fog. Horrible! It was like flying a plane in cloud. Just as I thought I could not go a mile further it broke and the lines of the road became visible. Blinding snow squalls and ice are worse.