Four dead and 17 hospitalized after truck collided with cars stopped for work on I-96

Four people were killed and scores injured after a semi-trailer struck several cars near a construction site on Saturday. The impact caused the truck and numerous vehicles to catch fire.

About 15 vehicles were involved in the crash on Interstate 96 near the M-52 overpass, including the truck, according to a tweet from the Michigan State Police Lansing post. Seventeen occupants of the vehicle were taken to UM Sparrow Hospital and McLaren Hospital in Lansing for serious injuries, police said.

Police said around 11:42 p.m. Saturday that Consumers Energy employees were working on a project to lay power lines across the highway.

The project had to close the highway for a short period. Troopers had just completed the closure of westbound I-96 at the M-52 overpass and reopened the highway, but numerous vehicles were still stationary when the incident occurred.

Police said a tractor-trailer was traveling westbound on the highway and the male truck driver did not see the backup and was unable to stop his vehicle in time. The truck was in the left lane and struck several vehicles.

Police said eastbound and westbound I-96 were closed while they investigated the crash and the Michigan Department of Transportation would inspect structural damage to the M-52 overpass.

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