Whiteout Triggers 100-Vehicle Pileup on I-196, Multiple Injuries Confirmed

Whiteout snow and blowing winds turned a stretch of Interstate 196 in West Michigan into a chain reaction nightmare on Monday, January 19, when a massive pileup involving more than 100 vehicles shut the highway down near Hudsonville.

“It went from normal to zero visibility”: what drivers saw right before the crash

Investigators have not pinned down a single, official cause, but the weather setup was a classic recipe for sudden havoc: lake-effect snow bands and snow squalls paired with gusty winds.

Drivers moving cautiously can still get trapped when visibility drops in seconds. The first warning is often a blur of brake lights and sliding trailers, not a forecast headline.

One driver, Pedro Mata Jr., told reporters he was close to the front of the crash when he noticed trucks swerving and slowing. He said a tractor-trailer jackknifed ahead of him, and he steered off toward the median to avoid getting hit.