Whiteout Blamed For 114-Car Accident One Man Killed, 38 Injured In Pileup On I-75 In Michigan

Officials are calling the New Year’s Eve pileup that closed I-75, took one life, sent 38 to the hospital and left more than 200 stranded, one of the worst accidents ever seen in Michigan’s northland.

Initially, police put the number of twisted and mangled cars and trucks on I-75 just north of Grayling at 50, said Officer Dennis Long of the Grayling Police Department, who is on loan to the Crawford County Emergency Management team. It was believed to have been caused by a sudden blinding snowstorm or a whiteout, he said.

But as authorities painstakingly ripped one car from another, they discovered some vehicles piled on top of each other two- and three-thick. By Friday afternoon, the tally had increased to 114.

“This was probably one of the worst ones I’ve ever seen. It’s amazing more people weren’t hurt,” Long said.

On Friday afternoon, police identified the motorist killed as Gary Hadwin, 58, of Holt. His wife, Peggy, was in critical condition Friday at Mercy Health Services North in Grayling. Three others, including an 11-year-old boy, were at the hospital in stable condition.

Mercy treated and released 19 people Thursday, a spokeswoman said Friday. Otsego Memorial Hospital treated and released 15 Thursday.

Many in Crawford County, population 12,000, volunteered to take stranded motorists in, but by Friday, it appeared everyone had checked into a hotel or found a ride home.

Tow companies hauled damaged vehicles to the school so victims could get their belongings out.

Insurance companies were called to begin assessing the damage.

For many crash victims, that could take time. Tow companies were estimating Friday that it could take up to two weeks for insurance appraisers to determine whether the vehicles could be repaired.

Tow companies from three counties were called in to clear the road. On Friday, many were still towing.

“I tell you what: We’ve been doing this since 1976, and I’ve never seen anything like it in this county,” said Jeff Riker, of Grayling’s Riker Towing.