Video: More than 100 vehicles involved in pile-up during US snowstorm

A massive pile-up involving over 100 vehicles occurred on Interstate 196 near Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Monday due to a severe snowstorm. The Michigan State Police closed the highway in both directions as crews worked to clear the wreckage, which included more than 30 semi-trucks. While numerous injuries were reported, none were believed to be fatal. The crash is part of a larger weather event, as the US National Weather Service issued warnings for extremely cold temperatures and potential winter storms across several states, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Motorists reported near-zero visibility due to blowing snow prior to the pile-up.

On January 19th, a pile-up involving over 100 vehicles occurred on the I96 interstate in Ottawa County, Michigan. The incident resulted in the closure of the motorway and multiple injuries were reported. According to state police, there were no fatalities. A driver involved stated that heavy snow impaired visibility, making it difficult to see the cars ahead while driving at approximately 20-25 mph. The poor visibility due to snow is believed to be a contributing factor to the large-scale collision.

In 2020, Michigan child welfare officials raised concerns about the accuracy of drug tests provided by Averhealth, a company contracted by the state. These concerns stemmed from conflicting results compared to other law enforcement agencies' tests, leading to distrust in Averhealth's findings, which were used to make critical decisions about child placement. Around the same time, Averhealth's lab was placed on probation by its accreditor due to issues like data manipulation and failed proficiency tests. Despite repeated inquiries from Michigan officials, Averhealth did not disclose its probationary status, and the accreditor kept its findings confidential. Former employees also reported issues with understaffing, broken equipment, and pressure to expedite results. The discrepancies in testing and lack of transparency raised serious questions about the reliability of Averhealth's services within the Michigan child welfare system.