Man Dies After Being Struck By Vehicle On I-96 During Struggle With Police
DETROIT (WWJ) - Officials say a man has died after being struck by a vehicle on I-96 in Detroit while trying to get away from police.
The incident unfolded around 5:50 a.m. Thursday morning on westbound I-96 near Grand River Avenue.
Michigan State Police say they responded to the scene after receiving a 911 call about a vehicle stopped in traffic in the westbound express lanes.
When a trooper arrived on the scene, "he noticed that the driver was very disoriented and smelled of intoxicants," according to police.
The driver exited his vehicle and "became combative and struggled with the trooper" when the trooper tried to keep him out of traffic, police said. At that point, the trooper deployed his Taser but it had no effect on the man.
The man then ran across traffic and climbed over the median onto the freeway's local lanes, where he was then struck by a passing car.
Michigan State Police Lt. Mike Shaw said the man was breathing and in stable condition when taken away from the scene by ambulance, describing his injuries as "serious."
The man was transported to a nearby hospital where he later died.
The driver who struck the pedestrian stayed at the scene and is cooperating with police. They were not injured.
The local lanes of westbound I-96 were closed for several hours while police completed their investigation, but reopened to traffic around 9 a.m.
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