A fatal collision on Wednesday afternoon claimed the life of one person and injured several others on westbound Interstate 96. The Michigan State Police reported that the incident involved two semi-trucks and two passenger cars near a construction zone by Grange Road, west of Lansing. According to WWJ Newsradio, the at-fault driver was not paying attention as traffic slowed down for the construction zone, leading to a chain of events culminating in the crash.

In the gruesome aftermath of the accident, westbound I-96 was closed, with traffic detours at Grange Road causing significant backups. Michigan State Police Lt. Rene Gonzalez, in a statement, asserted, "This was a tragic crash that didn't have to happen," directing drivers to take alternative routes such as M-100 north of Grand Ledge. Despite Lt. Gonzalez's suggestion, the traffic crisis persisted, with Lansing State Journal confirming long-lasting closures.

Delving further into specifics, WLNS revealed that a 33-year-old man from Grand Rapids, driving a 2019 International semi-truck, collided into the rear of a 2017 Chevy Cruze. The operator of the Cruze was a 74-year-old woman hailing from Sparta, whose vehicle was subsequently smashed into a 2020 Land Rover and a 2014 Freightliner semi-truck. The domino effect that followed saw the Land Rover overturn and the Cruze crushed between the two semis, tragically resulting in the senior woman's death.

Both the at-fault semi-truck driver and the 62-year-old Land Rover driver, found amidst the wreckage turned over in a ditch, were seriously injured and transported to a hospital. Strikingly, the young 23-year-old driver of the second semi-truck emerged without injury. While the crash brought westbound travel to a halt for a stretch of hours, alcohol and drugs, regarded as catalysts of despair, were confirmed not to be factors in this incident. The investigation remains ongoing.