This months massive pileups on I-94 near Hartford are "a vivid illustration" of people driving way too fast on icy, snowy roadways. That's the bottom line arrived at by Michigan State Police now that they have completed their investigation of those multi-vehicle wrecks along I-94 between Hartford and Watervliet earlier this month. As a result, State Troopers say they have issued tickets to a total of 20 individual drivers including four commercial vehicle operators and 16 motorists.
The State Police say the investigation is now complete and citations have been mailed to the drivers being charged. The tickets stem from the 52 vehicle crash that occurred on January 17, 2016, on I-94 near Hartford. The multi-vehicle crash caused the closure of both eastbound and westbound I-94 for six hours while numerous police agencies worked to remove the damaged vehicles involved in the incident.
The first crash occurred at approximately 2:00 p.m. in the eastbound lanes during a period of heavy snow. In total, 44 vehicles (6 semis or other commercial vehicles and 38 passenger cars, trucks and SUVs) were involved in the eastbound crash.
The eastbound crash claimed the life of 78-year-old Carol Griesemer of Northville, MI who was the rear passenger in a vehicle driven by her son, 54-year-old Andrew Griesemer. Andrew Griesemer died a week later on Sunday, January 24th at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo.
The westbound crash began approximately 10 minutes after the eastbound incident in similar conditions of heavy snowfall. That secondary westbound crash involved a total of 8 vehicles (4 semis or commercial vehicles and 4 passenger vehicles).
In addition to the fatalities, 14 people were treated for injuries, including a Van Buren County Sheriff’s Deputy who was struck by a vehicle while assisting an injured motorist at the scene.
Following a thorough investigation of the crashes, the primary cause was determined to be "drivers traveling too fast for the roadway conditions." While the weather contributed to this incident, Michigan law states: “(1) A person operating a vehicle on a highway shall operate that vehicle at a careful and prudent speed not greater than, nor less than, is reasonable and proper, having due regard to the traffic, surface, and width of the highway and of any other condition then existing. A person shall not operate a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than that which will permit a stop within the assured, clear distance ahead.”
After the careful review of photographic and video evidence, as well as driver and witness statements, it was determined that citations would be issued to all drivers found at-fault for violation of the basic speed law. In the eastbound crash, that includes 2 drivers of commercial vehicles and 13 drivers of passenger vehicles and in the westbound crash, 2 drivers of commercial vehicles and 3 drivers of passenger vehicles will be cited. Citations were mailed this week on Tuesday, January 26, 2016.
The Van Buren County Prosecutor’s Office is currently reviewing the case to determine if any criminal charges will be authorized in relation to the fatalities.
1st Lieutenant Dale Hinz is the Post Commander for the Michigan State Police at Paw Paw. He tells us, “This crash is a vivid illustration of the dangers of traveling too fast on icy and snowy roads.” He adds, “As drivers, we are responsible for controlling our vehicles at all times, no matter the weather or roadway conditions. While this chain reaction crash was much smaller than the one we experienced last year in Kalamazoo County, a Michigan family tragically lost two of their loved ones in this incident.”
Hinz says essentially, “The safest things a driver can do in winter weather conditions are to slow down and leave extra stopping distance between vehicles.” The Post Commander points out that, “Numerous drivers of both commercial and passenger vehicles were able to safely stop their vehicles without crashing. These drivers were observant and travelling at prudent speeds for the conditions.”
Unless the Van Buren County Prosecutor's Office authorizes any criminal charges, the investigation is considered over.
The photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market.com was provided by Larry Podjan of Watervliet.
