WARREN (WWJ) - A stretch of I-696 was shut down for several hours in Warren Friday, following a serious multi-vehicle crash.
From late morning into the afternoon, traffic was tied up along westbound 696 at Dequindre Rd. as a result of the accidentt that involved a steel hauler and at least other four other vehicles, accordinf to Michigan State Police.
There was quite a bit of debris on the freeway, police said, including steel coils that had fallen out of the semi.
MSP said a preliminary investigation revealed that a black Toyota SUV cut off the semi, forcing the truck driver to slame on the brakes. That, in turn, caused semi's load to shift and spill.
Three people were taken by EMS to a local hospital; two for evaluation and one for a separated shoulder, police said.
Police urged drivers to avoid the area -- about halfway between Dequindre and the I-75 interchange, while traffic was backed up to around Mound Road.
The scene was cleared by around 2:30 p.m., with all lanes back open to traffic.