Settlements Reached In Lawsuits Over Fatal Chain-Reaction Crash On I-75 During Snow Squall
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - A settlement has been reached in a wrongful death lawsuit filed after two children were among three people killed during a 2013 chain-reaction wreck in Detroit.
A lawsuit filed n Wayne County Circuit Court against the driver of a semi-truck and the company he was working for was resolved last week, according to a report in the Detroit Free Press. Details of the settlement weren't released.
Nine-year-old Gabrielle Greenwood of Windsor, Ontario, and her 7-year-old stepbrother Aidan Hicks died in the wreck on I-75 during a sudden snow squall.
The Jan. 31, 2013 pileups on Detroit's southwest side included cars, SUVs and semi-trailers in a dozen separate crashes. The wrecks also resulted in the death of 54-year-old Larry Manolis of Allen Park and court records also show a settlement in a lawsuit involving Manolis' death.
Twelve or more people were transported to area hospitals, most with back, neck and head injuries. At least two of those hospitalized were reported in critical condition.
The crash was caused by white-out conditions and slippery pavement. Police say a total of 43 vehicles and semi-trucks were involved in 12 separate crashes over a mile-long stretch of I-75.
"When I approached the scene, it was a total whiteout," said Trooper Seth Swanson, who was one of the first people to arrive at the scene. "You couldn't see 10 feet in front of you, and then the snow cleared, and all I could see were cars and trucks scattered all over the highway."
Multiple cars were seen crushed up against the median and some motorists, at one point, were trapped in their cars. Several vehicles were overturned and twisted metal littered the freeway.
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