Four dead in devastating truck accident in Webberville

• The accident occurred around midnight Saturday after traffic on I-96 was reopened following a closure to cross power lines.
• According to Michigan State Police, four people were killed and 17 were injured and taken to area hospitals.
• Watch the video above to see video of the crash.

(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)

“I have never experienced an accident like this before,” said Breanna Barnhart, witness.

A fiery accident occurred late Saturday evening near Webberville, killing four people and seriously injuring more than a dozen others.

“You never think something like this is going to happen, and if they just stand still, it can happen to you anytime, anywhere,” Barnhart said.

According to Michigan State Police, I-96 westbound was closed at M-52 while DTE crews worked to fix lines late Saturday evening. Traffic was backed up when, according to police, a tractor-trailer collided with stationary vehicles. This security footage I obtained from the Mobile-Webberville gas station shows the moment of impact.

“As we got closer, we started seeing fire,” Barnhart said.

Police say the tractor-trailer driver did not see the stopped cars on the highway. The result was a fiery scene and utter destruction.

I-96 crash and fire

Breanna Barnhart took a video when she happened the accident.

“It was really sad. There really are no words to describe how you feel. “It gets stuck in my head,” Barnhart said.

She says she was stuck in stationary traffic for 15 minutes before coming upon the crime scene where flares had been planted.

“First responders were at the cars and it looked like they were trying to break into the vehicles. Then you could see the semi-truck, but it wasn't even a semi-truck anymore; It was just the frame of the truck. “It seemed like there were about four or five cars on fire,” Barnhart said.

As daylight came, emergency crews worked to clean up the mess and begin the investigation.

The crash killed three Lansing residents: a 20-year-old woman, a 43-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man, all from Lansing. Investigators believe they are related. A 29-year-old Carson City man was also killed in the accident, according to MSP.

According to police, the tractor-trailer driver was among 17 injured people who were taken to local hospitals.

Link to previous reporting.

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