SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP (WWJ) - One person is dead following a catastrophic crash with an operating construction tractor in a Northern Oakland County work zone early Wednesday morning.
Michigan State Police told WWJ that the fatal crash occurred around 12:15 a.m. on June 28 in a fully marked construction zone on southbound I-75 near Dixie Highway in Springfield Township.
According to troopers, multiple construction signs and orange barrels were erected on the roadway, but the driver continued through the zone at "a high rate of speed" and tried to pass a vehicle driving the appropriate speed in the left lane when they lost control.
"The at-fault driver tried to pass on the right ,inside the barrels and in the closed lanes where workers were present," MSP said in an update around 9 a.m.
The driver ended up ramming into a backhoe operated by a construction worker before slamming into the car it was trying to pass. It then went off the freeway, into a ditch and crashed into a tree.
The driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene, troopers confirmed. A n injured dog was rescued from the same vehicle and handed over to Oakland County Animal Control for further care.
Neither the construction worker operating the heavy machinery or the driver of the second vehicle were hurt in the incident.
Troopers had closed the freeway down at E Holly Road to conduct their investigation -- it has since been reopened.
The identity of the deceased driver has not yet been determined by police. At this time, it is unknown if drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash.
“This is another example of risky driving behavior leading to a preventable traffic crash in on of our construction zones," First Lt. Mike Shaw said on Twitter. “Drivers need to make sure they are following the speed limit, especially in a construction zone. Lives depend on it.”
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WWJ LIVE for the latest updates.
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