Watch: Drone footage shows massive 100-vehicle pile-up on Michigan highway amid snowstorm

Drone video shows a huge crash on a Michigan highway, where over 100 vehicles were involved. Heavy snow made driving very dangerous and caused whiteout conditions.

The crash happened on Monday morning, forcing authorities to shut down the interstate in both directions. Officials say between nine and 12 people were injured, though no deaths have been reported.

Video filmed by Chicago and Midwest Storm Chasers shows rows of crushed cars and mangled lorries scattered across the motorway. Michigan State Police said an estimated 30 to 40 semi trucks were among the vehicles involved.

According to the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, the first reports of the pile-up came in at around 10.19 am.

The pile-up happened while a type of snow called lake-effect snow was falling strongly in the area, making roads very slippery and reducing visibility.




Lake-effect snow happens when cold air moves over the warmer waters of a large lake (like Lake Michigan). The air picks up moisture from the lake and dumps it as heavy snow on the land downwind, often creating intense, localized snowstorms.

Weather officials said visibility dropped to as low as a quarter of a mile, while strong winds gusting between 25 and 40mph caused blowing snow and near whiteout conditions. Temperatures at the time were very low, in the negatives.

Interstate-196 remains closed between Exits 55 and 62 as emergency crews continue to clear the wreckage.

The sheriff’s office confirmed that those injured were taken to nearby hospitals. The scale of the incident was so massive that it triggered a large regional emergency response, with hospitals and ambulance services working together to manage patient care.

Officials warned that the road could remain closed for several hours.

Michigan State Police urged drivers to stay off the roads and take extreme care in the severe weather.