Grand Rapids, MI, was the site of a significant highway incident late Thursday night as a multi-vehicle crash brought northbound US-131 to a standstill. According to WOOD TV8, up to as many as 15 vehicles were involved in the collision near 28th Street, causing injuries among some involved, although the exact number of individuals affected remains undisclosed.
The interruption to the flow of traffic came as a sudden confrontation with the capriciousness of nature, with police suggesting weather played a leading role in the highway drama. "We were driving downtown and like three or four cars crashed in front of us and then we hit them, and then another two, three cars hit us in the back," Mario Rodriguez told WOOD TV8 in a reflective account of the chain reaction. Thankfully, Rodriguez and his family emerged unscathed, but the same could not be assured for all the evening's travelers.
Further reports from WZZM 13 confirm that among the vehicles caught in the pile-up was a firetruck, though, no firefighters were harmed. Emergency services, responding promptly to the scene, facilitated the transportation of several people to area hospitals, with no injuries immediately declared as severe.
As the storm continued its hold over West Michigan, local authorities urged against nonessential travel. For hours, vehicles stood idle as crews endeavored to restore order to the now treacherous passage, a task completed by 2:30 a.m., according to the Michigan Department of Transportation and sourced from WZZM 13. In a separate incident on Tuesday morning, a crash also temporarily closed the northbound lanes of U.S. 131 in Kalamazoo County as reported by MLive, this time near Exit 36 (Oshtemo), adding to the region's traffic troubles though lanes reopened shortly after.
