A tragic incident occurred last Saturday night on I-75 near Birch Run when a 34-year-old man was struck and killed by a vehicle while walking in the traffic lanes. Michigan State Police reported to the scene of the crash at approximately 11:15 p.m. after receiving reports of a pedestrian involved in a collision, as reported by WNEM.
The identity of the man has not been disclosed, but the preliminary investigation indicates that he was walking in a travel lane of northbound I-75 just a short ways south of the Birch Run Road interchange. While total closure of the lanes following the incident, the driver involved consistently pulled over and cooperated with investigators, as Michigan State Police First Lt. Mike Shaw, having closed all northbound lanes between Clio and Birch Run for the investigation, according to ABC12 News.
The circumstances that led the victim to be on the freeway at that hour are not yet understood. "Currently we don’t know why this pedestrian was walking on the freeway," F/Lt. Mike Shaw told WNEM. The investigation, which also pends the ME report and prosecutor review, remains ongoing as troopers try to determine the events that precede the fatal encounter.
Following the accident, traffic was directed away from the scene, with all lanes reopening early Sunday. The police report, once finalized, will be forwarded to the prosecutor's office for a thorough review, a move that is standard procedure in accidents involving fatalities. The driver involved stayed at the scene and has not been identified so far, as confirmed by the state police per WSGW.
