Not such a sweet of Valentine’s: Crashes shut down highways.

Custer Fire Dept. personnel stop traffic along U.S. 10.

By Rob Alway. Editor-in-Chief. 

Multiple crashes were reported in Mason and Oceana counties between 3 and 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon, two of them closing down highways. The first crash involved multiple vehicles on northbound U.S. 31 south of the Mason County line in Oceana County. A witness traveling south reported seeing many vehicles stopped along with highway with several vehicles in the ditch. Our Oceana County editor, Allison Scarbrough, who monitors Oceana emergency frequencies said she did not believe there were any injuries.

Multiple vehicles were involved in a crash on U.S. 31 near Pentwater. Photo by Sherri Gradisher.

Around 4 p.m., Mason-Oceana 911 started to dispatch emergency crews in Mason County to multiple crashes. Initially, Branch Twp. Fire Dept. was called to a rollover crash on U.S. 10 that was supposed to be located east of Walhalla, possibly near Tyndall Road. Crews searched U.S. 10 east two miles into Lake County reporting nothing found. It is likely the initial caller of that crash meant Tuttle Road west of Custer, where emergency crews were called to a five vehicle crash. Two people were injured in the crash that resulted in the closure of U.S. 10 between Custer and Scottville. Custer and Scottville fire departments, Life EMS, Mason County Sheriff’s Office and Scottville Police Dept. responded to that scene.

Emergency crews were also dispatched to a crash at South Pere Marquette Highway and First Street about that same time. However, no crash was found there but later confirmed at the intersection of Pere Marquette Highway and Iris Road. Another crash took place shortly afterwards just south of that location at P.M. and Hesslund Road. The Hesslund Road resulted in injuries.

No other details of the crashes were available.

A winter storm warning remains in effect until 10 p.m. this evening. North wind gusts of 50 mph are likely. Open areas along west and east roads are most susceptible to drifting. Wind chills were expected to drop between 15 to 35 degrees below zero tonight and Sunday morning.

Mason County Sheriff’s Office has requested that motorists avoid being on the roads. Anyone who needs to be out should drive with their lights on. Tow trucks were reported by the sheriff’s office as being at least four hours delayed.