NUNICA, MI (WHTC) – Strong winds and light-moisture snowfall caused traffic headaches throughout the Lakeshore from Friday night through Saturday afternoon.
At times, US-31 near Muskegon, I-196 north of South Haven and I-94 from Mattawan to the Indiana state line were closed due to white-out conditions that led to multi-vehicle crashes. Near Nunica, a westbound I-96 crash around 112th Avenue on Friday evening led to the hospitalization of an Ottawa County Sheriff’s deputy and two other persons. According to investigators, the unnamed deputy was responding to a rollover crash in that vicinity, and was in the prowl car with the driver awaiting a tow truck to move the disabled vehicle when a SUV slammed into the prowl car from behind. The deputy was taken to North Ottawa Community Hospital for treatment, while the driver of the SUV and a passenger went to Spectrum-Butterworth Hospital; all had minor injuries. The driver of the rolled-over vehicle wasn’t hurt.
Another crash that involved an injured law enforcement officer occurred near Mattawan along I-94. According to a statement from the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department abouth the Saturday afternoon incident: “A Mattawan Police Department Officer was assisting with crashes near the 63.6 mile marker westbound I-94 and had exited his patrol vehicle observing a passenger of a crashed vehicle begin to get out of the passenger side of her vehicle. The Mattawan Police Officer told her to stay in her vehicle and as he began to walk away from her vehicle he was struck by another vehicle. The Officer after being struck was able to advise on his portable radio to Van Buren central dispatch that he had been struck and needed medical attention. Deputies from the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office was able to administer first aid to the Mattawan officer until medical personnel arrived. The Mattawan officer was taken by Van Buren Emergency Medical System ambulance to Lakeview Bronson Hospital.”
While the Winter Storm Warning was slated to expire on Saturday evening with winds dying down, bitterly cold conditions were predicted to remain through Monday.
