Truck driver dead, several MDOT crew workers injured, in I-75 crash near Monroe
A truck driver is dead and several road construction workers injured in the aftermath of a crash Tuesday on Interstate 75 in Monroe County, Michigan.
The crash happened about 9 a.m. in the northbound lanes of I-75 near the I-275 split in Frenchtown Township north of Monroe, the Michigan State Police reported.
All northbound lanes were closed for a time at Exit 18 / Nadeau Road, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation, and are expected to remain closed at Exit 20 / I-275 until further notice. The highway was still closed in that area around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. The nearby section of northbound of US-24 / Telegraph Road has been seeing heavy traffic.
MDOT crews were working on patching the left lane of I-75 at the time of the crash, troopers reported. There were two MDOT "attenuator vehicles" behind the crew, outfitted with a system that gives impact protection to the vehicle if it is struck from behind.
The truck ran into the back of one of the MDOT vehicles, jackknifed and then struck a second attenuator vehicle.
In the aftermath, aluminum cans spilled out from the cargo area of the truck onto and across the highway.
The truck driver was pronounced dead on the scene. His age and hometown are not yet known.
Several MDOT workers on site sustained minor injuries.
Troopers from the Monroe post along with officers from the Michigan State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division are investigating the crash.
Frenchtown Township Fire Department also was among the crews on scene.
