DETROIT (AP) — Police say it took only seconds for a light snow to turn into a whiteout, causing drivers to slam on their brakes or swerve to avoid tractor-trailers jackknifed across a busy Detroit freeway.
The pileup Thursday quickly turned into a mile-long string of wrecks that killed three people, including two children who police believe were siblings from Ontario.
The accidents closed Interstate 75 for several hours and sent more than a dozen people to local hospitals. Police estimated that as many as 30 cars, SUVs and semi-trailers were involved.
The freeway's surface was slick as temperatures in the Detroit area dropped by about 30 degrees from the previous day — to only 24 degrees at the time of the pile up, along with strong winds.
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