ALLEGAN COUNTY (WHTC-AM/FM) — Allegan County Sheriff’s Office just annouced calling in additional deputies on overtime assigned to the highways becasue of the high volume of incidents and treacherous conditions of drifting and limited visibility.
These are expected to escalate after dark.
“We urge motorists to use extreme caution and only travel in cases of extreme importance or emergencies until conditions improve,” the police statement emailed to media said.
Hundreds of crashes have happened in West Michigan, including several pile-ups.
In Ottawa County, sheriff’s deputies continue responding to multiple crashes along I-96, between the Kent-Ottawa county line ,west to the area of 68th Avenue in Polkton Township, according to Capt. Mark Bennett.
A series of unrelated crashes started around 12:15, he said, with a crash involving a tanker truck, then a seires of ofther crashes on the highway, and, a few hours later, a semi-tractor-trailer injury crash near 68th Avenue on I-96.
At this point, Bennett said, so many crashes have happened, police are unable to quickly tally all the injuries.
Drivers involved in crashes but not injured are being taken to an area off the freeway where they can arrange for transportation, he said.
The sheriff’s office is asking people to stay of the roads as these areas are extremely dangerous, especially in this area. I-96 is presently closed in both directions from 112th Ave east to 16th Avenue.
Tuesday morning, deputies kept busy with a series of crashes on I-196 between Zeeland and Hudsonville.
Crash investigations continue.
