TWO SEPARATE FREEWAY CRASHES INVOLVING SEMI-TRUCKS WHICH HIT VAN BUREN COUNTY DEPUTY VEHICLES ON ICY ROADS IN MICHIGAN. PLEASE SLOW DOWN AND USE EXTRA CAUTION DURING WINTER WEATHER DRIVING.
January 29, 2015
PAW PAW TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Police are investigating
two separate freeway crashes involving semi-trucks which hit Van Buren County
deputy vehicles on icy roads Thursday morning.
The first crash occurred around 2:15 a.m. on I-94 eastbound
near exit 56 in Paw Paw Township.
(The first crash involving a Van Buren County deputy’s
vehicle and a semi-truck on I-94 in Paw Paw Township. Jan. 29, 2015)
Deputies said an eastbound semi-truck driven by a
35-year-old man from Chicago lost control on the icy roads and hit both a
deputy’s vehicle and the vehicle involved in a previous slide-off that the
deputy had been investigating.
The impact of the crash rolled the deputy’s Ford Explorer
police vehicle onto its side.
The deputy who was still inside the vehicle had to be
extricated by emergency crews. He was taken to the hospital where he was
treated and released.
The driver of the semi-truck was also taken to the hospital
and was treated and released.
The driver and passenger of the vehicle involved in the
prior slide-off were inside their vehicle at the time of the second crash but
were not hurt.
A second Van Buren County Sheriff’s Patrol vehicle was hit
by a semi-truck during a second crash around 5:30 a.m. on I-94 eastbound near
the Decatur exit (exit 56).
The semi-truck driven by a 37-year-old man from Ontario,
Canada, lost control of his vehicle on the ice and hit the deputy’s Ford
Explorer police vehicle that was parked on I-94. The vehicle had its emergency
lights on directing traffic off the freeway due to the previous deputy-involved
crash.
The deputy was not inside his vehicle at the time of the
crash and was not injured.
Both semi-truck drivers were issued tickets for driving too
fast for conditions.
The Michigan State Police want to once again remind
motorists to slow down a
nd use extra caution during winter weather driving.