A tractor-trailer barreled through a concrete barrier and fell off an overpass along Interstate 196 in western Michigan on Monday morning, exploding on impact.
Authorities blamed the accident on whiteout winter conditions. The tractor-trailer crash occurred just after 7 a.m. near Saugatuck as high winds, icy pavement and near-zero visibility created treacherous driving conditions, according to WWMT.
Witnesses said the truck jackknifed before tearing through the guardrail and falling onto Old Allegan Road below, where it erupted into flames, WOOD TV8 reported. A bystander rescued the driver moments before a second explosion engulfed the wreckage. The driver was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
The fiery crash forced the closure of roughly five miles of I-196 in both directions, with northbound lanes remaining closed overnight as state transportation officials inspected the integrity of the overpass.
Fire officials reported multiple additional slide-offs and rollovers in the same corridor as lake-effect winds intensified hazards along the lakeshore.
The Michigan incident was part of a broader pattern of weather-driven roadway disruptions across the region over the last two days. In Detroit, snow squalls and blinding winds triggered a sprawling chain-reaction crash on Interstate 75 involving dozens of vehicles, including multiple tractor-trailers, according to WXYZ news.
State police said roughly 59 vehicles were involved across more than 20 separate crashes, temporarily shutting down large sections of the freeway and backing up traffic for miles.
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