Driver dies after I-96 crash and fire in Redford Township
A driver died after a car caught fire in a three-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon.
The Redford Township Police Department said officers responded about 2:47 p.m. Nov. 3 to eastbound I-96 between Beech Daly and Telegraph roads.
A preliminary investigation indicated a Ford Focus hit the rear of a pickup moving slowly in the Telegraph exit lane because traffic was backed up on the ramp.
The impact spun the pickup into an SUV, and the Focus caught fire. Emergency personnel freed the driver and put out the fire. Officers began medical care, and the driver was taken to a hospital, where they died.
The pickup and SUV occupants had minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
“Speed appears to be a contributing factor in the collision,” police said. Whether alcohol or drugs were involved remains under investigation.
The freeway’s eastbound lanes reopened Tuesday evening after traffic had been diverted off at Beech Daly Road.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information is asked to call the Redford Traffic Bureau at 313-387-2561.
Who is responsible for a Michigan chain-reaction crash?
Responsibility depends on what each driver did and how those actions contributed to the impacts. One driver may cause the sequence, or several may share fault.
Michigan’s rear-end collision law, MCL 257.402, can create a presumption of negligence when a driver overtakes and hits the rear of another vehicle traveling in the same direction or lawfully stopped on a highway. The driver can challenge that presumption with evidence, so a rear-end impact doesn’t automatically settle responsibility for every collision in a chain reaction.
Evidence that a vehicle was pushed into another can distinguish a forced impact from a separate driving mistake. Michigan Legal Center’s guide to Michigan multi-vehicle and chain-reaction crashes explains how witness accounts, video and vehicle damage can help establish the order of impacts.
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Michigan Legal Center: the Law Offices of Christopher J. Trainor & Associates handles car accident, serious injury and wrongful death claims.
If you were injured or lost a loved one in a multi-vehicle crash, contact Michigan Legal Center to ask about your legal options.
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Michigan Legal Center’s car accident claims information explains the legal help available after a Michigan crash.