Car crashes into median wall on I-94 in Ann Arbor
A car that crashed into the median on Interstate 94 near U.S. 23 Friday morning caused a backup on both sides of the freeway.
Reader photo submitted by Chris Poterala
A crash snarled traffic on Interstate 94 near U.S. 23 on the south side of Ann Arbor Friday morning.
The one-car crash occurred about 8:20 a.m. on eastbound I-94 just west of U.S. 23, a dispatcher with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office said. It was on the median side of the freeway, where the car appeared to have crashed into the median wall.
Michigan State Police and Pittsfield Township firefighters responded to the crash, the dispatcher said.
One person was taken to the University of Michigan Hospital in stable condition after the crash, Huron Valley Ambulance spokeswoman Joyce Williams said.
A Google traffic map showed traffic backed up on both sides of the freeway at 8:45 a.m.
Information about possible injuries was not immediately available.
View Crash 110912 in a larger map
Comments
jns131
Sat, Nov 10, 2012 : 11:01 p.m.
I drove by that accident at 9:10. I saw the mark the car made when it impacted that wall. Ouch. I am glad the person lived thru it. Ouch to the car.
VillageDweller
Sat, Nov 10, 2012 : 8:31 p.m.
When I first saw the headline I thought this article would be about the nasty accident on I-94 eastbound that happened around 3:15 pm or so on Friday. From US 23, I got onto I-94 heading west at 3:40 pm and we were just crawling along. Finally, as we neared the vicinity of the State St. exit, I saw several vehicles in the middle of the eastbound lanes crashed & stopped. No emergency vehicles were there yet. I assume that we on the westbound side were creeping along so that we could gawk and text our friends about it. Big sigh.
jns131
Sat, Nov 10, 2012 : 11:07 p.m.
At 4:30 traffic was backed up to the Stadium Bridge. Which by the way opens up next week. I ended up taking back roads home. What a mess.
Sandra Samons
Sat, Nov 10, 2012 : 3:35 p.m.
Hasn't anyone noticed how frequently there are accidents in this area? I think the interchange is poorly designed for traffic flow to merge or exit from one expressway to the other. I always drive very defensively when navigating that area. It's not the only interchange of it's kind, unfortunately.
Ann English
Sun, Nov 11, 2012 : 12:55 a.m.
I wonder what an alternative design would be. For that freeway interchange, and the Washtenaw Avenue-US-23 interchange, we must trade places with other vehicles while on or under the US-23 bridge, and there isn't much time or space to do that. Taking either 3-quarter turn to get onto northbound US-23 means getting over to the travel lane fast, or else you stay in that lane, which becomes an EXIT lane, taking you right back where you came from; one exit sign says Chicago, the other Exit 37B. We've been taught to merge safely with traffic when getting ON an expressway; when exiting one to get onto another, trading lanes with others who want to go where you just came from calls for extra attention from all motorists involved.
YpsiGirl4Ever
Sat, Nov 10, 2012 : 2:13 a.m.
I'll ask. When the heck is this ever-going-on construction via I-94 ever going to end by U.S. 23? Its a two-lane freeway with major traffic during rush hour. This "construction", in which I rarely see anyone actually working, has been going on for months on end....making this area into a danger-zone all the way back to State Street. Time for the "construction" if that's what it is, to wrap itself up for another person is not hurt or killed on I-94 between U.S. 23 and State Street.
grimmk
Sat, Nov 10, 2012 : 8:21 a.m.
What I hate about it is that NO ONE slows down for the posted speed limit of 60 and when there are construction workers present NO ONE slows down to 45. Is there any wonder that there are accidents around there? I get yelled at, lights flashed at and nearly rear ended when I slow down to 60. It's a construction zone people! SLOW THE HECK DOWN.
Calendar Girl
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 8:52 p.m.
Typical Ann Arbor, not a single comment sending good wishes to the person who was in the crash. A2=Me, Me, Me!
TNB
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 10:38 p.m.
The person is in stable condition; hope they recover fully. BTW, where are your well wishes?
Betsy Anderson
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 7:54 p.m.
Hang up and just drive, and don't drive inTEXTicated! Agree with you Fatkitty, drivers on the roads nowdays are nuts, don't pay attention to anything but their cell phones.
MRunner73
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 4:35 p.m.
Eastbound but the photo of the crash shows the car facing west. Must have been a spin out as well. Very unfortunate that there has been a rash of accidents in or near Ann Arbor this past week. Am just saying and NOT drawing any conclusions on this particular indicent but I have been noticing more people texting behind the wheel. I would be very curious to know the causes of some these accidents. Once again, this is NOT to imply this driver was texting and hope the person recovers quickly.
djacks24
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 7:17 p.m.
Have you considered all the texting you're noticing may be distracting you? Don't worry about what everyone else is doing (or worry but don't study into it) and pay attention to the road and drive defensively.
Johnson48racing
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 4:34 p.m.
Just another day on Ann Arbor freeways nothing new there.
Fatkitty
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 3:50 p.m.
If everyone would slow down and drive the speed limit, keep a car-length between you and the car in front of you (and other drivers, stop cutting in to that space as if it was left there just for you!); put your phone away - no calls, and definitely no texting, there MIGHT be fewer accidents. It seems like everyone can't get THERE fast enough. Saw a bumper sticker once that said, "Drive like H@LL - you'll get there".
grimmk
Sat, Nov 10, 2012 : 8:04 a.m.
I think you mean THREE car lengths. The faster you go the more you need to put space between you and the car in front of you.
a2cents
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 6:29 p.m.
how very un-MI
MRunner73
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 4:37 p.m.
Almost every time I lag behind the behind the vehicle ahead of me whether on the freeway or surface road, someone will pull in front of me. It is almost impossible to maintain a safe distance unless you are content to keep letting the agressive drivers cut in.
Fatkitty
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 4:37 p.m.
RJ - You're absolutely right! One car-length is still too close (thanks for correcting me - when actually driving I stay back quite a distance). Can't stand the tailgaters, drive so darned close I can't see their headlights in my r-v mirror.
Rod Johnson
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 4:03 p.m.
A car length!! Waaay to close at highway speeds. A car length per ten miles per hour, or 4-5 seconds behind.
Dipstick
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 3:56 p.m.
One car length @ 70 mph! what ever happened to the "only a fool breaks the two-second rule"?
Billy
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 2:49 p.m.
Looks like it happened just after the exit ramp to 23 from EB 94. Wonder if it was caused by someone shooting across the gore.....that's the one place I see people do it all the time.
Dog Guy
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 9:56 p.m.
Crossing several lanes abruptly without a signal is called "The Detroit slide".
Rod Johnson
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 4 p.m.
Never mind, I looked it up. Thanks for showing me a new term.
Rod Johnson
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 3:59 p.m.
What does "gore" mean here? That's a new one for me.
JRW
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 3:35 p.m.
People try to cut across several lanes of traffic when they miss an exit rather than go to the next exit all the time. It's a wonder there aren't more accidents related to this kind of stupid driving. Not saying that is what happened in this case, but am responding to Billy's post.
fjord
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 2:49 p.m.
The article says it was just west of U.S. 23, but the pin in your map is placed just east of U.S. 23.
Ethics Advocate
Sat, Nov 10, 2012 : 4:17 p.m.
On the map in your site, the pin IS very slightly WEST of US23.
Cindy Heflin
Fri, Nov 9, 2012 : 3:22 p.m.
Thanks fjord. We've corrected the map.