OAK PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) — On Sunday, at least 100 cars were involved in crashes along I-696.
“People couldn’t see and then it was no time to stop,” say Antonia Bud.
Bud says she was driving down Hoover and 696 when everything went white.
“One car, two car, three cars hit us,” says Bud. Moments later, Bud says a military-style vehicle just narrowly missed their car.
“We were praying out loud, 'just God spare our lives, let me get home, let us get home to my children,'” says Bud.
A similar story unfolded further west on 696. Both east and west bound lanes were closed because of 20-vehicle pile-ups. Steven Safran was driving with his two kids when he noticed cars slowing down along Orchard Lake.
“I tried to slam on my breaks and ... to slow down, but the road was just a sheet of ice,” he said. Safran says he lost control, and so did the cars behind him.
“One car hit me. Then the next thing I know, another car hit me, spun us around, got hit four more times. Just told my kids to keep their heads down, we saw the windows smashing and I thought we were going to die,” says Safran.
No fatal crashes have been reported, but one person is in critical condition with a head injury. According to Michigan State Police, the person was involved in a crash and got out of their car to check for damages when they were struck by another vehicle who couldn’t stop.
MSP had a warning Sunday, reminding people to stay in their car with their seat belt on and wait for first responders.
Craig Bryson with the Oakland County Road Commission says crews are out clearing roadways, but conditions could be slick throughout the night.
“We could have just salted the road, just plowed the road, and a squall comes through right after us and covers everything up. It’s going to take us awhile to get back there and clean things up again, so please slow down and be cautious,” says Bryson.
