Truck driver seriously injured, highway closed for hours after crash on I-94 in Ann Arbor
Part of Interstate 94 in Washtenaw County, Michigan, was closed for hours Monday in the aftermath of a rollover crash involving a tractor-trailer, Michigan State Police said.
The Ann Arbor Fire Department, which also responded to the scene, said the truck driver suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.
The accident happened about 9:30 a.m. on eastbound I-94 near Jackson Avenue in Ann Arbor Township. The interstate closure was at Exit 171/M-14, where all eastbound traffic was directed to M-14, according to Michigan Department of Transportation traffic reports. Eastbound I-94 in that area reopened about 2:15 p.m.
The crash happened when a semi-truck gravel hauler lost control, struck the guard rail and rolled into a ditch along the shoulder, state police said. The truck had two gravel trailers, both empty, the Ann Arbor Fire Department said.
The jackknifed tractor-trailer landed within 100 feet of a similar crash that happened Sept. 3, firefighters said. The rescue effort required the work of both Ann Arbor and Scio Township fire departments.
"Access was difficult due to steep terrain and mud, requiring the use of chainsaws to clear trees to reach the cab," Ann Arbor firefighters said.
After the driver, a 55-year-old Muskegon man, was extricated, he was taken by Huron Valley Ambulance to the University of Michigan Hospital.
Other first responder and assistance agencies on site included the Washtenaw County Road Commission, Corrigan Towing and Ann Arbor Police Department. Ann Arbor Township Fire Department provided standby support in the city.