HUDSONVILLE, MI (WHTC) – A four-vehicle crash involving two semis has injured two people and had the highway closed for an oil spill until early evening on Wednesday, February 23.
Deputies from the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office and Firefighters from Hudsonville Fire Rescue were dispatched around 5:15 p.m. to Eastbound I-196 just east of the 32nd Avenue on ramp in Hudsonville.
According to Sgt. Bob Ruster, 26-year old Ashley Berzley of Jenison was attempting to merge on EB I-196 from 32nd Avenue in heavy rush hour traffic . As the merge lane came to an end, Berzley had to stop on the shoulder of the road and wait to merge when traffic cleared.
A vehicle behind her driven by 63-year-old Thomas Vilella of Kentwood was also unable to merge and as it slowed down it was rear-ended by a semi tractor trailer driven by 36-year-old Timothy Richer of Cadillac.
The first semi then pushed Vilella’s SUV into the rear end of Berzley’s SUV and the semi then jack-knifed and came to rest blocking the right hand lane of I-196. A second semi tractor trailer driven by 46-year-old Mark Blaukamp of Holland crashed into the other semi.
Bersley was transported to Metro Hospital with non-life threatening chest injuries and the first semi truck driver Richer was transported to Metro Hospital with non-life-threatening back injuries. All lanes were re-opened just after 7;30 p.m.
Vilella and Blaukamp were not injured in the crash which remains under investigation.
