PAW PAW, MI -- Dispatchers, police and emergency crews have been busy today responding to dozens of accidents across Southwest Michigan, which experienced its first wave of snow.

Lt. Dale Hinz with the Michigan State Police Paw Paw Post said many of the crashes could have been prevented if motorists were driving more safely.

"The majority of them are preventable," Hinz said. "I keep reminding people that the secret to winter driving is just slowing down. That and increasing following distance."

Hinz said he had extra officers on the roads this morning to respond to the crashes and slide-offs.

"We put everybody on the road. Any special assignment folks were all on the road this morning," he said.

Hinz said most of the accidents to which troopers responded were minor. The only serious crash was on M-43 near 29th Street at about 10:25 a.m. The two-car, head-on crash left one driver with serious injuries, Hinz said.

First responders in Allegan County are currently on scene of a major accident on northbound US-131 in Plainwell, involving two police cruisers and a wrecker. A dispatcher said deputies were injured in the crash, but there is no word on the extent of the injuries.

The National Weather Service is predicting six to nine inches of snow could fall in Southwest Michigan through Friday afternoon.