5 injured, I-96 westbound closed following multi-vehicle crash
A multi-vehicle chain-reaction crash tied up westbound I-96 for over an hour Wednesday morning, leaving two people hospitalized with serious injuries.
OTTAWA COUNTY — A multi-vehicle chain-reaction crash tied up westbound I-96 for over an hour Wednesday morning, leaving two people hospitalized with serious injuries.
Deputies from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene near the 48th Avenue overpass at approximately 9:30 a.m.
According to preliminary investigators, westbound traffic had ground to a near-halt as drivers slowed for an upcoming construction zone featuring an active lane closure.
Police state that a 22-year-old Paw Paw man, piloting a pickup truck towing an enclosed trailer, failed to notice the bottleneck. His vehicle slammed into the rear of the slowed traffic at full speed, triggering a pileup that ultimately entangled five vehicles.
The driver of the pickup truck and the driver of another involved vehicle sustained serious, though non-life-threatening, injuries. First responders worked to extract the victims before transporting both to local hospitals for treatment. The occupants of the remaining three vehicles were assessed at the scene.
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Authorities shut down all westbound lanes of I-96 for just over an hour to allow emergency crews to extricate the injured and clear the extensive debris.
The crash remains under active investigation by the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office. No charges have been officially filed at this time.
— Submitted by the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office. To submit a news tip, email newsroom@ottawanewsnetwork.org.
