40 Car Accident Kills 3 on I-94

24 Jan, 2014

A couple from Michigan and a man from Chicago were killed in a massive pileup on a snowy interstate in northwestern Indiana, authorities said Friday, as crews cleaned up after the 40-plus-vehicle wreck.

More than 20 people were injured in the crush of semitrailers and mangled passenger vehicles Thursday afternoon on the eastbound stretch of Interstate 94 connecting Chicago with Detroit. Two of those are critically injured, Indiana State Police Sgt. Ann Wojas said.

Snow and whiteout conditions were contributing factors, police said. A band of heavy lake-effect snow was dropping up to 2 inches of snow per hour with visibility at a quarter-mile or less at the time of the wreck, National Weather Service meteorologist Evan Bentley said.

Thomas Wolma, 67, and his 65-year-old wife Marilyn, were killed in the crash, LaPorte County coroner John Sullivan said early Friday. The Wolmas, of Grand Rapids, Mich., were returning home after taking care of a relative in Wisconsin when they were caught up in the massive crash, Sullivan said, citing the couple’s son.

Sullivan said Jerry Dalrymple, 65, of Chicago, was killed in his car, along with his dog.

Two box trucks and 18 semitrailers were among the 46 vehicles involved in the wreck near Michigan City, about 60 miles from Chicago, Wojas said at a news conference Friday.

The eastbound lanes of I-94 remained closed Friday morning as crews continued working to clear the scene, state police Cpl. Larry Koebcke said. Cranes and wreckers were brought in to help remove the wreckage, and officials haven’t estimated when all the lanes will reopen.

Indiana State Police Sgt. Ann Wojas said 20 to 30 people were injured, including one with life-threatening injuries and another who was flown by medical helicopter to a hospital.

AP

Image AP

Mentioned In This Post: