A multi-vehicle crash on I‑94 in Ann Arbor on Sept. 2 split open a semitrailer and sent a shipment of sparkling grape juice across the highway, shutting the freeway in both directions for several hours and prompting an extended cleanup.
The accident occurred around 2:40 p.m. near the Jackson Road entrance, in a stretch of freeway locally known as "Deadman's Curve," the Ann Arbor Fire Department wrote on Facebook. An 86-year-old woman driving a Honda Fit collided with the front of a semitrailer, according to the department. The semitrailer then lost control and struck a 2019 Ford F-150 that was hauling a motorboat, overturning the pickup onto the westbound side of I‑94. The trailer later struck a concrete median, splitting open and releasing bottles of the sparkling juice onto the roadway.
The semitrailer driver, a 34-year-old man, was not injured, the fire department said. The woman driving the Honda and the driver of the Ford, a 63-year-old man, were treated for minor injuries at Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital and University of Michigan Hospital, respectively. Emergency responders closed the freeway in both directions while crews removed debris and washed the spilled cargo; the roadway reopened around 6:25 p.m.
Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as motorists slowed and pulled over. "This accident happened right in front of us," said Dennis DeCosta in comments on the fire department's Facebook post. He said the small silver car's rear end was "totally demolished" and that he and other motorists stopped to call 911. "We were east bound on I-94 at the Jackson Road entrance to I-94. ... We quickly slowed down and drove thru the debris and pulled over calling 911," he wrote.
Local commenters on the fire department post said the stretch of highway is notorious for crashes. "That curve is crazy," wrote Jason Nielsen. "Entrance ramp out of nowhere where some cars can't get up to speed before hitting the expressway. Locals know to always stay in the fast lane around there." Harold Perry wrote, "Gotta be dead man’s curve….I don’t even bother to get on at that entrance, I just drive the extra and get on later…."
Photos posted with the fire department's update showed bottles and liquid across the pavement alongside damaged vehicles. Social media responses included lighthearted remarks mourning the loss of the sparkling cider and comments about potential free beverages for passing motorists.
Authorities cleared the crash site after several hours of cleanup. The Ann Arbor Fire Department and other responding units worked to remove debris, clear damaged vehicles and wash liquid from the roadway before traffic was allowed to resume.
Roadway spills from split trailers are not uncommon. In recent months, separate crashes have scattered agricultural and food shipments on interstate highways, including a truckload of sweet corn in Colorado and a tractor-trailer of frozen hot dogs in Pennsylvania that split after scraping a concrete barrier, blocking travel while crews cleared the scenes.
State or local law enforcement agencies typically investigate such collisions to determine contributing factors; the Ann Arbor Fire Department did not provide further details on the cause of the initial collision beyond the sequence reported on its Facebook post.