(Lowell, IN) - First responders in northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan are exhaling after a blizzardly weekend of treacherous driving conditions.

 

The Indiana State Police Lowell Post has provided some numbers on what they experienced. From Thursday afternoon through Sunday morning in northwest Indiana alone, state troopers responded to 153 property damage crashes, 157 stranded motorists, 83 slide-offs, and 28 crashes involving injuries. State Police also encountered 5 impaired drivers, and one trooper was injured while on duty.

 

During the early morning hours on Friday, the eastbound lanes of I-94 were closed through most of LaPorte County. Nearly 150 soldiers from the Indiana National Guard were activated during the blizzard to help patrol Hoosier highways. Some of them were out along the Indiana Toll Road.

 

Southwest Michigan was hit extra hard by winter weather over the weekend, wreaking havoc on highways.

 

I-94 in Berrien County was closed for several hours Friday following a pileup of 9 semis. It was just one of many roadway incidents in that area. A Michigan State Police trooper’s vehicle was hit, and a firefighter was struck by a car while helping to direct traffic.