One killed, three injured in crash on I-96 in Brighton Township
One Detroit resident was killed and three were injured when a sport utility vehicle overturned this morning on I-96 at Spencer Road in Brighton Township, a Michigan State Police news release said.
A 1995 Toyota 4Runner was exiting from westbound I-96 to Spencer Road at 7:30 a.m. when it overturned, ejecting three adults, police said. Brighton area firefighters had to use an extrication tool to cut the car to free the other adult.
Two people were airlifted to the University of Michigan Hospital and another was taken there by ambulance, the release said. One of them died at the hospital. That person had been ejected, police said. Police did not have the conditions of the two people who remain hospitalized.
The driver, who was ejected, suffered minor injuries, but declined medical attention.
According to a preliminary investigation, speed appears to be a factor in the accident, police said. It's unclear whether anyone was wearing seat belts, police said.
The names of the four people who were in the car have not been released and no other information about them was available this morning.
Comments
Peregrine
Sat, Jun 5, 2010 : 6:41 p.m.
I'm sorry at the loss of life and hope everyone else recovers. SUVs are among the least safe vehicles on the road due to their high centers of gravity, extra weight, and psychology. Unfortunately people feel safer in SUVs, thus encouraging the drive less safely in vehicles that are already less safe. That's a sad irony. Pickups are even worse. Reach Malcolm Gladwell's article on SUVs and safety.
Ann English
Fri, Jun 4, 2010 : 5:52 p.m.
Sounds like Mac's description of the interchange is similar to the I-94 & Jackson Road interchange:a curve and motorists going too fast, so accidents occur there. Mick calls something "speed strips"; what I call "rumble strips" were installed at two places on westbound I-94 recently, just east of the Jackson Road exit, apparently to slow down motorists there.
Mick52
Fri, Jun 4, 2010 : 9:58 a.m.
Terrible news. Thanks for the details, Mac. Perhaps speed strips on the pavement would make people brake earlier. I know of one freeway merge exit that has them in Sylvania, Oh and it works well.
Macabre Sunset
Thu, Jun 3, 2010 : 1:21 p.m.
Once in a great while, the little number on the yellow caution sign is actually close to the safest speed for a curve. This exit is one of those cases. But I don't know what actually happened here, only that I've had to correct and hit the brakes harder right at that spot a few times. It's also prone to speed, as many people are coming from US23-North and have to cross three lanes from a difficult left-lane merge in 3/4 of a mile just to get to the exit. The 96/23 interchange needs that reconfiguration that was once approved before Granholm decided to kill any 23 expansion. Sad there's loss of life. I hope the others involved recover.