Five people have died and several others were hospitalized following three separate crashes on metro Detroit freeways during the early morning hours of Sunday. The incidents occurred between late Saturday night and the early morning, affecting major thoroughfares in the region.
The first accident took place around 11:45 p.m. Saturday on westbound Davison near the I-75 interchange. Michigan State Police reported that a child died after being ejected from one of the vehicles involved. Three cars were traveling westbound when a silver Chevrolet Impala rear-ended another vehicle. This impact caused the second driver to lose control and collide with a third vehicle.
Six individuals were riding in the Impala at the time of the crash. One of them, a child, was thrown from the car and transported by Highland Park police to a hospital, where the child later died. The other five occupants of the Impala were also taken to the hospital with injuries ranging from minor to critical. State police announced that the driver was arrested for operating while intoxicated causing death.
A second crash occurred just over an hour later, around 1 a.m., on southbound I-75 near Schaefer. A white Chevrolet Tahoe was traveling south at what investigators believe was a high speed. The driver lost control, struck a concrete barrier, and the vehicle rolled multiple times.
Three women were inside the SUV. Two of them, including the driver, were ejected from the vehicle, while the third passenger was trapped inside and had to be pulled out by responders. All three were transported to the hospital for treatment. Michigan State Police confirmed later on Sunday morning that one of the female passengers, a resident of Roseville, had died. Speeding and reckless driving are believed to have contributed to this accident.
The third and final crash happened around 2 a.m. on the Lodge Freeway near Wyoming Avenue. This single-vehicle accident resulted in three deaths. The vehicle was traveling south when the driver failed to negotiate a curve. The car left the freeway, traveled up an embankment, passed through shrubbery, and became airborne before landing on the entrance ramp to southbound Lodge Freeway from Wyoming Avenue, where it struck a concrete barrier.
The driver and two passengers, all of whom were residents of Detroit, died in the crash, according to troopers who spoke later on Sunday morning. Alcohol is suspected to be a contributing factor in this incident.
Both I-75 and the Lodge Freeway were shut down for several hours to allow for cleanup and investigation. Both roadways have since reopened to traffic.
