HUDSONVILLE, Mich. — Poor visibility and whiteout conditions led to a massive 100-car pileup along Interstate 196 near Hudsonville Monday morning, forcing authorities to close the freeway in both directions for several hours.
The chain-reaction crash involved nearly 100 vehicles, including an estimated 30 to 40 semi-trucks. Icy roads and severely limited visibility left drivers with nowhere to go as cars and commercial vehicles collided along the stretch of freeway.
Ottawa County Sheriff's officials reported between 9 and 12 people were injured in the wreck and transported to nearby hospitals. No fatalities were reported.
Among those involved was the son of Pamela and Richard Flowers, who was transporting a patient to Zeeland Hospital when the accident occurred.
"As a parent, when you hear that your child is in an accident, that's always frightful," Pamela Flowers said.
Richard Flowers confirmed his son and the patient both are both okay, and the patient who was transported to Zeeland hospital has minor injuries.
Traffic remained at a standstill for several hours as crews worked to clean up and tow away the wrecked vehicles. Officials used school buses to transport stranded motorists off the freeway, taking them to Hudsonville High School where they were eventually picked up by family members.
The Flowers family expressed gratitude that their son survived what could have been a much more serious incident.
"I could hear that he was okay. You know he was calling, he was communicating. So we were we were grateful and thankful that he is safe," Pamela Flowers said.
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