Pileup on I-94

At roughly 3:00pm local time today on I-94 in LaPorte County, Indiana just outside Michigan City cars and trucks slammed together in a serious multi-vehicle traffic accident:

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. (CBS) — At least two people have been killed–and possibly several more–in a massive pileup involving up to three dozen vehicles on Interstate 94 near Michigan City on Thursday.

LaPorte County Coroner John Sullivan hinted that there may be more fatalities, calling the scene “very grim. I would not be surprised if the [death toll] will rise.”

Crews still need to get to several vehicles crushed underneath the semi trucks, and those motorists have been trapped for several hours in the extreme cold, Sullivan said.

There are at least two dead. The accident involved fourteen semis and an unknown number of passenger vehicles. Whiteout conditions were reported at the time the accident occurred.

At this time it isn’t possible to give the precise number of passenger vehicles involved because an unknown number of cars are trapped beneath semis. As of this writing they’re still pulling people out of some of those cars, live but injured. The wind, driving snow, and bitter cold is hard on victims and emergency workers alike.

There is no lesson to be learned from this, no obvious reform that could have prevented this accident. I-94 between Chicago and Michigan City is an extremely busy road with an enormous amount of interstate truck traffic, particularly at this time. Lake effect snow is commonplace on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan in the wintertime. Winter driving conditions can be hazardous.

One’s heart obviously goes out to the dead, the injured, and their loved ones.

Drive carefully, folks.

3 comments… add one
  • steve Link

    Tough night in the trauma bay and OR’s. Wish them well.

    Steve

  • Red Barchetta Link

    For those of you who have not experienced a white out (you get them in Buffalo, NY or NW Indiana frequently) it is terrifying. You literally sometimes cant see the front of your car………..but what is the guy behind you doing if you stop??

  • ... Link

    Haven’t experienced one and hope to never experience one. It’s bad enough with the torrential downpours we get in the South in the summer sometimes, when seeing ten feet in front of the car is almost impossible. White-outs sound terrifying.

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