WEBBERVILLE (WWJ) — All but two of the 17 people who were hospitalized following a massive crash and fire on I-96 in Ingham County over the weekend have been released.
The crash happened just before midnight on Saturday, Nov. 2, when a semi-truck slammed into multiple cars that were backed up on the westbound lanes of the freeway as Michigan State Police troopers were closing I-96 near M-52 to allow DTE Energy crews to string power lines across the expressway.
MSP officials say the freeway had just reopened, though numerous westbound vehicles were still stopped.
It appears the driver of the semi did not see the backup and could not stop the truck in time, slamming into multiple vehicles. The impact of the collision caused the truck and several other cars to catch fire, MSP officials said.
Four people were killed in the crash: a 29-year-old man from Carson City in a Ford F-150, along with a 20-year-old woman, a 43-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man, all from Lansing, according to MSP. The three Lansing victims were all riding in a Chevy Trax and were all related.
In total, 17 others were taken to UM Sparrow Hospital and McLaren Hospital in Lansing. The truck driver was taken to University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. As of Sunday evening, the driver’s age and hometown were not known.
In an update Monday afternoon, MSP officials said all but two of the people injured in the crash have been released from the hospitals in Lansing. The truck driver remains hospitalized in Ann Arbor.
The freeway remained closed until early Monday morning. MSP officials said the overpass would be closed indefinitely as MDOT needs to inspect the bridge for structural integrity.
Video posted to social media over the weekend showed the massive blaze in the aftermath of the crash.
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