A two-vehicle crash on U.S. 2 near Pentoga Trail in Crystal Falls Township left one person dead and another injured just before 12:30 p.m. Thursday, closing both lanes of the highway for hours in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
The crash involved an eastbound pickup truck towing a trailer with three occupants and a westbound passenger car carrying one occupant, according to ironmountaindailynews.com. The sole occupant of the westbound car was pronounced dead at the scene, the outlet reported. One occupant of the pickup was taken to Aspirus Iron River Hospital for treatment of injuries, per the same account.
As of Thursday evening, authorities had not released the identities of those involved, with the outlet noting that names were being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The Iron County Sheriff's Office said the investigation remained ongoing, according to the report.
Highway Reopened After Hours-Long Closure
Both lanes of U.S. 2 between Bates-Amasa Road and U.S. 141 had reopened by Thursday afternoon, according to Upper Michigan's Source. The stretch runs through a rural section of Iron County that connects Crystal Falls Township to surrounding communities.
Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Crystal Falls Police Department, Michigan State Police, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the article notes. MLive also reported on the crash Thursday, noting that police responded to the two-vehicle wreck near the Pentoga Trail area.
Echoes of a Previous U.S. 2 Tragedy
This is not the first fatal crash to strike this stretch of highway. In March 2023, a head-on collision on U.S. 2 near Bates-Gaastra Road in Iron County's Bates Township killed one driver at the scene and left another airlifted to a hospital in Wausau, Wisconsin, according to mlive.com.
No details on the cause of Thursday's crash have been released. The Iron County Sheriff's Office said its investigation into the collision continues.
