I-696 reopens after crash breaks median, scatters debris
OAK PARK, Mich. (FOX 2) - A massive crash that broke the median on I-696 in Oakland County closed much of the freeway on Thursday.
UPDATE: Westbound and eastbound I-696 are open again as of 7:00 p.m., according to MDOT.
The impact scattered debris around the roadway, a nearby traffic camera showed. It happened at Coolidge in Oak Park.
Please slow down in the rain. Below is the current scene at
W I 696/E of Greenfield- Oak Park. We have responded to 37 preventable crashes across the district since midnight. We have more rain on the way. Risky driving behaviors are even worse in inclement weather. pic.twitter.com/sxcxoyqCLx— MSP Second District (@mspmetrodet) April 11, 2024
The back-up of cars went on for at least two miles.
It was the second of two major highway crashes that happened in metro Detroit Thursday, after a fatal accident happened on I-75 at Eight Mile.
Michigan State Police also pleaded with drivers to be safe on the roads during a rainy stretch of weather in Southeast Michigan. They said on social media they had responded to 37 crashes since midnight.
Wet weather is expected through the week with precipitation expected through Thursday and into Friday. Find more information on the forecast here.
