I-75 crash chaos: Driver slams underneath semi-truck, says whiteout conditions was cause
I-75 crash chaos: Driver says car slid under a semi-truck in the freeway pile-up
Cooper spoke to FOX 2 coming away unscathed after his vehicle crashed underneath a semi-truck on I-75.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A driver involved in the massive scene of crashes on I-75 spoke to FOX 2 about what happened in the havoc which closed the freeway Monday.
What they're saying:
By 4 p.m. the northbound side of I-75 was finally reopened following massive efforts to clear the scene.
Cooper was one of the dozens of drivers caught in a snow squall on northbound I-75 this afternoon, near McNichols when the chain of chaos took place.
"It kind of just came out of nowhere. I was going 30 to 40 at the most because I was trying to remain vigilant," he said.
No injuries were reported from any of the multiple crashes, which involved more than 20 vehicles.
The strong wind gusts which reached 60 miles an hour earlier this morning then combined with blinding snow squalls like this one.
"It was a whiteout with no visibility and like I said, everyone was going 25 or 30 until they weren't. My car got totaled," Cooper said.
The man's car slammed underneath a semi-truck - which was one of at least three involved in the large-scale number of crashes.
"I slid underneath a semi-truck and it ripped the hood off my car," Cooper said. "The only thing that saved me were the side airbags and everything. I had to hop into the passenger seat and sit there for most of the time."
Somehow, he came away unscathed with his car absorbing all the damage.
The crash caused the northbound side to be closed with the freeway closed back to the Davison.
He said he was trying to remain calm in the midst of the traffic chaos.
"It was just me panicking basically trying to see what I could do," he said. "I feel I did the safest thing and didn't crash into anybody else. I crashed into the semi, but not the cab. I couldn't see that far in front of me. It was just stopped, and I didn't have enough time to hit my brakes."
The exact number of vehicles involved, is not known at this time. All lanes are blocked by traffic appears to be passing on the right side exit lane, according to the MDOT camera.
"Some of the semis may have struggled, some of the cars may have struggled, whatever it is this is probably going to (last) the majority of the day," said Diane Cross of MDOT in a phone interview with FOX 2. "At the moment we have northbound 75 closed at McNichols. Don't be surprised if we move that back to the Davison so that traffic can move freeway to freeway."
According to MDOT, the left shoulder, left lane, right center lane, right lane and right shoulder are all blocked.
The backup is stretching for miles at the moment. The estimate is 20 vehicles or possibly more.
Road conditions have been challenging all day due to an active winter weather day that began with fierce winds and continues with blinding snow squalls.
West M-10 and Woodward are possible alternate routes according to Cross.
The Source: Information for this story is from previous reporting and an interview with the driver involved in the chain of crashes.