One dead, one seriously injured in three-vehicle crash on I-96

WRIGHT TWP. — A passenger was killed, and a driver was seriously injured early Sunday morning in a three-vehicle collision along westbound Interstate 96 in Wright Township, according to the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office.

Emergency responders were dispatched to the crash site near the 24-mile marker at approximately 12:15 a.m.

According to preliminary investigative findings, a semi-truck entered westbound I-96 from Ironwood Drive when a passing Infiniti attempted to overtake the semi along the right shoulder. While passing, the Infiniti struck an unoccupied Chevy Avalanche parked on the shoulder.

The collision forced the Infiniti back into the roadway, where it collided with the semi-truck before coming to rest in the median. Shortly after the impact, a fire broke out in the Infiniti's engine compartment.

Deputies and bystanders pulled the driver from the burning vehicle, but the passenger remained pinned inside and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Infiniti driver was extricated and transported to a nearby hospital in serious but stable condition. Meanwhile, the passenger’s identity is being withheld pending family notification. The semi-truck driver was uninjured, and the parked Chevy Avalanche was unoccupied at the time of impact.

Westbound I-96 was closed at 8th Avenue for several hours while deputies investigated the scene, but authorities expect the highway to reopen shortly.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Anyone with relevant information is urged to contact the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office or submit an anonymous tip through Silent Observer at 877-88-SILENT (745368) or online at mosotips.com.

— Submitted by the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office. To submit a news tip, email newsroom@ottawanewsnetwork.org.