Massive pile-up on I-94 kills 3, more than 20 hurt.....

For hours, traffic on a busy interstate that connects Chicago to Detroit stood still, blocked by a massive pileup involving more than 40 vehicles, many of them semitrailers.



Three people died Thursday and more than 20 were injured — including one critically — in the accident on a snowy stretch of eastbound Interstate 94 in northwestern Indiana. At least one person was trapped in a vehicle for hours before authorities could come to the rescue, Indiana State Police said.

Snow and whiteout conditions were contributing factors, state police said late Thursday night. A band of heavy lake-effect snow was reported on Thursday afternoon when the pileup began, dropping 1 to 2 inches of snow per hour and reducing visibility to a quarter-mile or less, National Weather Service meteorologist Evan Bentley said.

The eastbound lanes of I-94 were to be closed overnight as cranes and wreckers helped clear the scene and investigators tried to determine the chain of events, state police said, noting the investigation could take several weeks.

Photos showed semitrailers and mangled passenger vehicles jammed together the width of the highway near an overpass. Some passenger cars were sandwiched in the wreckage. I-94 is the main highway heading east from Chicago to Michigan and Indiana, and the crash happened near Michigan City, about 60 miles from Chicago.....snip~

Yahoo!

Video here.....

http://news.yahoo.com/video/raw-3-dead-least-20-051711945.html


It was terrible in Indiana.....the lake effect snow kept bands dropping snow over certain areas. Some Suburbs and towns only received like 2-4 inches while others got hammered. Then the Lake effect circles back round and drops a covering just when they get things cleared. Again tonight, tomorrow, and Sat. going into Sunday they are calling for more lake effect snow to come around and hit certain areas.

Course in Chicago and around the borders this didn't count all the minor accidents and cars sliding into walls.

Tonight they said 1/3rd of Lake Michigan is frozen. Did I mention how I Hate Winter.

Here are some Photos.

What a tangled mess. I think it is just one of the risks you must accept when driving.

I know I have been on a packed freeway in the summer on dry pavement you know with everyone going 70+ that if one cars spins out of control there will be a pile up.

Crosscheck said:

What a tangled mess. I think it is just one of the risks you must accept when driving.

I know I have been on a packed freeway in the summer on dry pavement you know with everyone going 70+ that if one cars spins out of control there will be a pile up.

Click to expand...

Mornin' Crosscheck. :2wave: I was just happy I didn't have to be out in it.....got lucky and was given a break.

I went to Indy Wednesday night, and the wind, and blowing snow were bad enough that instead of headed back out of there, I just stayed overnight and left in the morning.

I see pictures like that and think the salvage auctions are going to have a lot of business plus the new car stores will as well, then I go out and have to use the air in my car because it is so hot here.

I lived in snow for 1 year and that was enough for me.

I don't see how people can do it year in and year out.