GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Strong winds and falling snow led to dangerous driving conditions Monday morning, with crashes and slide-offs reported across West Michigan.
Windy winter storm hits West Michigan Monday
A number of the morning’s crashes were reported in Allegan County. In Saugatuck Township, a semi-truck was heading north on I-196 when it crashed through the railing and went onto Old Allegan Road, Fire Chief Greg Janik told News 8. The crash shut down the road for hours. The southbound lanes reopened around 10 a.m., but several miles of northbound I-196 remained closed as of 12:30 p.m.
Closer to Holland, a jackknifed semi-truck shut down southbound I-196 west of 60th Street, Allegan County Emergency Management said around 9:30 a.m.
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In Allendale, a News 8 crew saw a rollover crash on 68th Avenue between Lincoln and Warner streets. The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office was on scene around 9:40 a.m. The driver said the wreck happened after he hit a patch of ice and lost control. Neither the driver nor passenger in the car were injured.
“Roads are very slick. Very poor visibility,” Allendale Fire/Rescue Department Lt. Scott Harkes said, saying the department had responded to a number of slide-offs and property damage crashes — though none had resulted in injuries.
“Stay home if you can. Take it slow, give yourself extra time,” Harkes said.
The Kent County Road Commission says it is working to clear the roads, focusing first on state and county primary roads, as snow continues to fall throughout the day. The road commission warned that high winds can reduce visibility, bring down trees and cause snow to quickly recover the roads.
Crews trying to prep roads as wintry weather moves in
Steve Roon, director of maintenance and local road construction for KCRC, told News 8 that while crews are making progress clearing the roads, it is important that drivers watch for quickly changing conditions…