Interstate-96 reopens after pileup near Portland
LANSING − Interstate 96 near Portland reopened about 10 p.m., some five hours after authorities said some 50 to 100 vehicles were involved in a pileup in the eastbound lanes.
Michigan State Police officials said they closed both eastbound and westbound I-96 near Grand River Avenue in Portland just after 5 p.m. on Saturday following the crash. There were whiteout conditions prior to the pileup but the sun was out and skies had cleared by the time they released an image showing the wreckage.
Injuries have been reported, a Twitter post from shortly after the series of crashes by the MSP First District from Lansing said, but the severity of the injuries were unknown. Later in the evening the MSP Sixth District out of Grand Rapids said there were no serious injuries.
A warming and family reunification center was set up at the Portland Church of the Nazarene, according to an MSP Sixth District Twitter post. Buses will transport anyone involved in the crash.
Video obtained by the State Journal showed many vehicles collided with the cable barrier separating the eastbound and westbound lanes.
Conditions quickly worsened and visibility grew poor just prior to the pileup. Some drivers bumped into guard rails, while others couldn’t stop and slammed into cars ahead of them.
One man was seen leaving his car to clear scattered pieces of wreckage, allowing drivers to move forward and out of the pileup.
The Portland Area Fire Authority said on its Facebook page that the pileup was between mile markers 72 and 77.