Dearborn Man Killed In Crash With Semi On I-696
WARREN (WWJ) - One man is dead following an early morning accident in Warren.
Deputy Fire Chief Gary Wilkinson said they received a call about the incident, along westbound I-696 at Mound, at around 5:30 a.m. Thursday.
Wilkinson said a semi truck ran over a 1997 Saturn coupe -- cutting it in half.
The driver, a 50-year-old Dearborn man, was killed. He was the only person in the crushed vehicle. The truck driver was uninjured.
Reporting live from the scene, WWJ Newsradio 950's Vickie Thomas described it as one of the worst accidents she'd ever seen.
Wilkinson described the rescue effort.
"They were able to peel the door off of the car, but they couldn't get the guy out. So our heavy rescue showed up and it took them about four, five minutes using the jaws [of life] to get him out," Wilkinson said.
The man was rushed by EMS to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. State police will release his name once his family is notified.
A preliminary State Police investigation revealed that the Saturn driver lost control and struck the concrete retaining wall.
The roadway was wet from overnight rain at the time of the crash. Police say alcohol was not a factor.
As the investigation continues, police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the accident to contact State Trooper Mathis at (248) 595-1725.
The wet roads caused several crashes and traffic backups on metro Detroit freeway Thursday morning -- and more rain was expected later in the day.
Forecasters say metro Detroit will get another two to four inches through early Friday, in addition to possible thunderstorms. A flood watch is in effect and flood warnings have been issued in some areas. (Details here).
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 traffic incidents now on the CBS Detroit Traffic Page.
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