WEBBERVILLE, Mich. – A segment of Interstate 96 in southeast Michigan remained closed Sunday after a semi-truck collided with more than a dozen automobiles overnight, killing four and wounding 17 others, according to state police.
Traffic on I-96 near Webberville was temporarily halted late Saturday as utility technicians finished repairs on electricity lines in the area. Around 11:45 p.m., a semi-truck and trailer collided with the stranded automobiles.
“It appears the driver of the semi-truck did not see the backup and could not stop his vehicle in time,” Michigan State Police said in a statement on the social networking platform X.
The impact caused the semi-truck and numerous other vehicles to catch fire. According to police, the crash involved more than a dozen automobiles. Police confirmed four deaths and said that 17 others, including the truck driver, were injured and sent to neighboring hospitals.
Michigan State Police reported Sunday that the victims were a 29-year-old Carson City man driving a Ford pickup and three Lansing relatives in a Chevy Trax. They were identified as a 20-year-old female, a 43-year-old female, and a 47-year-old man. Police did not explain how they were related.
Authorities continued cleanup work on Sunday, announcing that I-96 near the accident site would “be closed for an indefinite period.”