A section of Interstate 96 in southeast Michigan remained closed Sunday after a semitruck crashed into more than a dozen vehicles overnight, killing four people and injuring 17 others, according to state police.
Traffic on I-96 near Webberville was temporarily stopped late Saturday as utility crews were completing work on power lines in the area. A semitruck with a trailer was heading westbound around 11:45 p.m. and crashed into the stalled vehicles.
βIt appears the driver of the semi-truck did not see the backup and could not stop his vehicle in time,β Michigan State Police said in a statement on the social media platform X.
The impact caused the semitruck and several vehicles to catch fire. Police said more than a dozen vehicles were involved in the crash.
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Police confirmed four deaths and said 17 people, including the driver of the truck, were injured and transported to nearby hospitals.
Michigan State Police said Sunday that the victims were a 29-year-old man from Carson City who was driving a Ford pickup and three relatives from Lansing who were in a Chevy Trax. They were identified as a 20-year-old female, a 43-year-old female and a 47-year-old male. Police did not say how they were related.
Authorities continued cleanup efforts Sunday and said I-96 near the site of the accident would βbe closed for an indefinite period.β