Thirty truck drivers have received tickets for their involvement in a 193-vehicle crash that occurred Jan. 9 on I-94 in southwestern Michigan killing a Canadian trucker.
Michigan State Police (MSP) this week announced it has concluded its investigation and says a total of 58 people, including the drivers of commercial vehicles, will be ticketed for what it calls “violation of basic speed law.”
The two related pileups — one in the westbound lanes and the other opposite it in the eastbound lanes — closed I-94 for two days. The crashes began at 9:20 a.m. on Jan. 9 during a period of heavy snow near east of Kalamazoo.
MSP says the pileups began in the eastbound lane when a semi-truck struck a van from behind and the van struck a car. That led to 60 vehicles — including 26 trucks — becoming part of that crash.
Making the eastbound accident even more dangerous was a tank truck carrying 44,600 lbs. of liquid formic acid overturned next to a truck loaded carrying 40,000 of fireworks. Both trucks caught fire, igniting the fireworks and forcing an evacuation order.
A Canadian trucker died in the eastbound collision.
MSP says the westbound crash began about 3-5 minutes later when drivers, distracted by the eastbound pileup, lost control of their vehicles in the winter storm. By the time it ended, MSP says 133 vehicles — including 50 commercial vehicles — were involved in this series of collisions.
