I-96 closed in Ingham County after a crash killed four people and seriously injured 17

According to MSP, the accident occurred around 11:42 p.m., shortly after State Police reopened the highway's westbound lanes due to a power line installation near the M-52 overpass. The highway had already been closed in the evening so that Consumers Energy crews could lay power lines across it.

“Troopers had just completed a closure of westbound I-96 at M-52 on the overpass and had just reopened the highway,” MSP said in a social media post. “At that time, numerous vehicles were stopped on the expressway. A semi-truck with a trailer was traveling westbound on the expressway and got stuck in a traffic jam. It appears that the driver of the semi-truck did not see the backlog and was unable to stop his vehicle in time.”

The semi was in the left lane and struck numerous vehicles, MSP said, and the impact caused the semi and many of the vehicles involved to catch fire.

Four people die and 17 are seriously injured in a crash on I-96 near Webberville

Four people were killed and 17 others were seriously injured after a tractor-trailer stopped for a traffic jam on westbound Interstate 96 near Webberville late Saturday evening, Michigan State Police said. The impact caused the semi-trailer and many of the vehicles involved to catch fire.

Courtesy of Joe Bogue of Owosso

MSP said early Sunday it believed “approximately” 15 vehicles, including the semi-truck, were involved in the accident.

According to police, the accident victims were taken to Sparrow and McLaren Hospitals at the University of Michigan in Lansing.

I-96 is expected to remain closed to westbound and eastbound vehicles indefinitely to investigate the accident and examine possible damage to the M-52 overpass bridge due to the fire caused by the accident.

The Michigan Department of Transportation plans to inspect the bridge over the highway, MSP said.

State police said further updates will be released as information becomes available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.