ALLEGAN COUNTY, Mich. (WWJ) - A blown tire set off a series of events that resulted in the death of one man and the injury of another while they were driving on I-196 in Southwest Michigan on Tuesday, authorities said.
Michigan State Police said they received a report of the crash around 2:15 p.m. in the northbound lanes of I-196 at mile marker #43 in Laketown Twp., near Saugatuck.
Troopers, along with the Graafschap Fire Department and Allegan County Sheriff's Office, responded to the scene. The freeway was shutdown for roughly two hours as they investigated.
According to MSP, two men were in a small white pickup truck, traveling north on the freeway, when a tire suddenly blew out.
The incident caused the driver, identified as a 32-year-old Zeeland man, to lose control of the truck before it overturned into the median. The two men, who MSP said were not wearing seatbelts, were ejected from the vehicle.
The passenger in the truck -- a 29-year-old man from Holland -- died as a result of his injuries, troopers said.
The driver was rushed to Butterworth Hospital for treatment of serious, but non-life threatening injuries.
MSP said alcohol and drugs were not believed to be factors in the crash.
No other information was released. The fatal incident remains under investigation at this time.