A pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle on southbound I-75 in Monroe County early Friday morning, triggering a lengthy freeway shutdown as investigators worked the scene. The closure snarled traffic for hours before lanes reopened.
According to MLive, the crash happened near Laplaisance Road in Monroe Township, though ClickOnDetroit reported the crash occurred at Front Street, Exit 13, sometime before 6:35 a.m. The two outlets differ on the exact location, and it was not immediately clear which account authorities would confirm. CBS News Detroit also reported that part of I-75 in Monroe County was closed following the fatal crash.
Freeway Shut Down for Hours
Southbound I-75 was closed between Elm Road and Laplaisance Road while troopers investigated, per the same MLive report. The shutdown stretched for hours in and near Monroe before the roadway reopened to traffic at around 10:15 a.m., according to a report from Audacy’s WWJ Newsradio.
Circumstances leading up to the crash remained unclear Friday, the Audacy report noted. Troopers from the Michigan State Police Monroe Post were investigating the crash, per a post from the Michigan State Police First District cited in the mlive.com article.
Detour Options During the Closure
While the freeway was shut down, ClickOnDetroit outlined a possible detour for drivers: exiting at Front Street and taking that to 1st Street, then to Monroe Street — which turns into Dixie Highway — before continuing to Otter Creek to get back on I-75.
Part of a Troubling Statewide Trend
The fatal crash comes amid what state data shows is a rising number of pedestrian deaths on Michigan roads. A Michigan State Police release on final 2025 crash data found that pedestrian fatalities increased 18 percent statewide, climbing from 156 in 2024 to 184 in 2025, according to michigan.gov.
Friday’s fatal crash was not the only deadly incident recently reported on I-75 in Monroe County. A separate two-vehicle crash happened Monday around 9 a.m. on northbound I-75 near Laplaisance Road, according to WTOL. In that crash, troopers said a 25-year-old woman driving a minivan struck the rear of a commercial box truck and was pronounced dead at the scene, with authorities believing distracted driving was a factor.
