Michigan State Police is investigating a multi-vehicle crash at I-94 exit 60 in Paw Paw, MI on Thursday September 3, 2015. The crash happened at about 2:15 p.m. involving two semis and five cars. (Crystal Vander Weit/Kalamazoo Gazette)
Crystal Vander Weit | cvanderw@mlive.com
By Rex Hall Jr. | rhall2@mlive.com
on September 03, 2015
PAW PAW, MI – An "inattentive" semi-truck driver caused a multi-vehicle crash Thursday on I-94 in Paw Paw that killed an Illinois man and critically injured two other people, police said.
The crash occurred at 2:15 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of I-94 at exit 60 when a semi-truck driver who wasn't paying attention rear-ended several vehicles, Michigan State Police Lt. Dale Hinz said.
Hinz said the crash, which involved two semi-trucks and four cars, occurred as traffic in the eastbound lanes had slowed because one lane had been shut down for an ongoing construction project. Hinz said the semi-truck driver, whose name and age have not been released, was "inattentive" and failed to stop for the slowed traffic.
Hinz said Thursday afternoon police are investigating why the truck driver was not paying attention to the road at the time of the crash.
A driver of one of the cars involved in the crash, a 72-year-old man from Illinois, was killed, Hinz said. Two other people who were not in the same car as the Illinois man, were critically hurt in the collision.
Hinz said no other injuries were reported.
Police shut down eastbound I-94 at Exit 60 following the crash. Hinz said police hope to have the highway reopened some time after 5 p.m. Thursday.