SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) - Tragedy strikes for a second time on I-696 in as many days after a wrong-way crash killed two drivers early Saturday morning in Southfield, state police said.
According to Michigan State Police, the fatal collision occurred in the westbound lanes of I-696 near Greenfield in the City of Southfield around 4:30 a.m. Saturday, May 6.
Two drivers, each the sole occupants in either vehicle, died instantly when their vehicles collided head-on.
According to a preliminary investigation, troopers determined that the driver behind the wheel of a 2022 Ford F-150 was heading westbound on the freeway in the center lane at the same time a driver of a 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee was traveling the wrong way and heading east on the westbound side also in the center lane.
The two vehicles then collided into one another.
Troopers said no one witnessed the crash and there were no calls made to 911 to report a wrong way driver prior to the incident.
Police have not released the identities of either driver, stating that the medical examiner will make identifications once they arrive on scene.
Troopers will then notify the families of the deceased.
The freeway is expected to remain closed as troopers conduct their investigation into the crash.
“We are trying to determine why the driver of the Jeep was driving the wrong way.” stated 1st Lt. Mike Shaw. He stated an autopsy will help troopers learn if drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash.
“But again, this is another example of poor driving behavior leading to the loss of lives”.
It is the second time in as many days a wrong-way driver has caused a fatal collision in Metro Detroit along the same freeway.
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On Friday, troopers were attempting to stop a wrong-way driver in a red Jeep Liberty on I-696 in Roseville when the driver crashed head first into a Chevy SUV.
The driver and passenger in the Jeep only received minor injuries, MSP said, while the driver of the Chevy, a 62-year-old man from Harper Woods, was fatally injured.
According to troopers, the driver of the Jeep, long with his passenger, are suspected of being drunk at the time of the crash.
Shaw said while it is possible, drivers getting confused in construction zones doesn't appear to be the issue.
"One of things we try to determine is how they got the wrong way, if we can, and see if there is anything that could have helped reduce it in the future," he wrote. "But the most common factor, as in every crash, is driver error or poor driving behavior."