Multiple Metro Detroit Freeway Crashes, 30 Car Pileup: Officials

METRO DETROIT — State officials reported Sunday afternoon multiple freeway crashes around metro Detroit due to scattered snow showers that fell quickly, prompting near whiteout conditions.

Officials in Oakland County responded to a crash on Interstate 696 at Michigan 5 in Farmington Hills just after 12:45 p.m., in which at least 35 vehicles may have crashed on the freeway. All Eastbound Interstate 696 lanes at Michigan 5 and all westbound lanes on Interstate 696 at Orchard Lake Road were closed in Oakland County due to the crash, state officials said.

Another 30 car pileup was reported by state officials in the eastbound express lanes on Interstate 96 at Grand River in Detroit. All eastbound express lanes on the freeway were closed after the Southfield Freeway. One person was transported to the hospital with a serious injury, Michigan State Police said.

All southbound lanes on Michigan 10 (Lodge Freeway) at Wyoming in Detroit were closed due to a crash, state officials reported.

Both ramps on Interstate 94 to westbound Interstate 696 on the Warren, St. Clair Shores border were also closed just after 3:00 p.m. due to a crash, state officials reported. Another Warren crash closed all eastbound Interstate 696 lanes at Van Dyke, as well as all Interstate 696 westbound lanes at Hoover.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for the metro Detroit, particularly along the Interstate 96 and Interstate 696 corridor, in which near whiteout conditions were possible at times.

While the snowfall is expected to be sporadic, 1 to 2 inches of fresh snow was expected to fall very quickly along the corridor, the National Weather service warned. The heaviest amounts of these scattered snow showers were expected to fall by 5:00 p.m. Sunday. But the winter weather advisory remains in effect until 8:00 p.m.