Motorcyclist Struck By Tire That Came Off Semi-Truck On I-94
DETROIT (WWJ) - Authorities say a motorcyclist was seriously injured in a crash with a wayward tire on I-94 in Detroit.
The accident happened just before 6 a.m. Wednesday on westbound I-94 near I-75, on the city's east side.
Michigan State Police say preliminary information is that a tire came off of a semi-truck and struck a motorcyclist.
"A motorcyclist was westbound and was struck by what appears to be either a full size tire or a piece of retread from a semi-truck," Lt. Mike Shaw said live on WWJ Newsradio.
The motorcyclist sustained a "very serious" injury to his ankle. His current condition is unknown.
Shaw said the truck driver did not stop after the incident.
"It's apparent that the semi driver probably didn't know that he had lost the tire," he said. "It's not a crime if the semi driver didn't know that this occurred. And there's no evidence that there's damage to his vehicle or he didn't properly inspect it before he went out for the day, so that's one of the things we will be looking at, and trying to track down the semi driver and talk to him as well."
Tracking down the trucker, though, could be like finding a needle in a haystack.
"If he's a cross country trucker, he may not notice that he's missing part of his tire until he gets to a rest area or stops to eat or reinspects his vehicle," said Shaw. "If we never find the trucker, we'll really never know what the cause of losing the retread or the tire was."
Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is asked to contact police at 313-962-7850.
Westbound I-94 was closed from I-75 to M-10 as police investigated the scene, but has since reopened.
For the latest from the roads, stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 during Traffic and Weather on the 8s, 24-hours a day. Check for recent incidents now on the CBS Detroit Traffic Page.