OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- When a jackknifed semi-truck suddenly came into view on I-96 near Coopersville, Dora Jenkins figured she wasn’t going to be able to stop in time.
“I had to make a decision....There was a rail on the side, so I figured I’d take my chances by running into the steel rail," she said.
She ran into the rail as planned, but at the same time struck another vehicle that already was in the same spot. Then a truck struck her car from behind.
The chaotic scene was part of multiple vehicle crashes Tuesday, Jan. 29 on I-96 between Marne and Nunica as snow and strong winds produced nearly white-out conditions at times.
Ottawa County sheriff’s deputies estimated that up to 40 vehicles were involved in the crashes, including a couple of pileups.
Jenkins spoke about the harrowing ordeal after her family, along with 12 others, were brought to the Berlin Baptist Church following the wrecks. The church was opened as a temporary shelter where people could stay warm while awaiting rides.
She was headed east on the freeway near Coopersville when the crash happened. After her car came to rest jammed against other smashed vehicles, Jenkins and her passengers braced for another possible impact and hoped it would not happen.
She was traveling with her 82-year-old mother, 10-year-old daughter and 16-year-old nephew.
“It was very nerve-racking,” she said. “I was trying to keep my cool because with the kids and my mother both nervous, my daughter was crying, my nephew was getting nervous and my mother was holding her chest. So my mind was all over the place,."
Firefighters soon arrived to help Jenkins and her family and they got out of harm’s way.
Police closed the freeway in both directions for several hours Tuesday because of the multiple crashes. Other sections of freeway -- M-6 near Kalamazoo Avenue, U.S. 131 in Allegan County and I-196 between Hudsonville and Zeeland -- also were closed for periods due to crashes.
On I-96, the melee started about 12:15 p.m. when a tanker truck jackknifed in the eastbound lanes near the Marne exit. Several cars collided with the tanker and each other.
Although many vehicles were damaged in the I-96 crashes, the injuries were few. Ottawa County sheriff’s deputies said they were aware of at least two people injured in a crash on the freeway near 68th Avenue.
Jake Van Hoesen also was headed east on I-96 when the van in front of him started “wobbling,” he said, and then began to stop. He decided to ditch his vehicle off the road instead of colliding with the van.
“It was actually pretty soft, so I’m hoping the car is all right. It seemed like it was going to be,” he said at the church.
Van Hoesen said he spent what seemed to be about two hours waiting in the car until he was able to leave the vehicle and head to the church. He read his Bible during that time.
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