Fire engulfs semi, closes MI interstate
PORTAGE, Mich. (WOOD) – Portage police are investigating a fiery rollover crash on Interstate 94 that sent two drivers to the hospital.
The crash happened around 3:30 p.m. Thursday on westbound I-94 near exit 75 for Oakland Drive.
Michigan State Police say heavy rain was falling when a Chrysler minivan lost control and hit the Oakland Drive overpass. The van then veered back into traffic and was hit by a semi carrying approximately 40,000 pounds of beer, troopers said in a Thursday news release.
Witness video shows the cab of the semi engulfed in flames. MSP say the driver of the semi, a 40-year-old man from Nashport, Ohio escaped the flames.
The driver of the minivan, a 48-year-old Portage man, was thrown from his vehicle.
Both drivers were taken to Bronson Hospital, where their conditions are unclear.
The crash shut down the westbound lanes of the highway for approximately two hours, leading to miles of traffic backups.
The right lane was still blocked just before 6 p.m. Thursday, MDOT reported on Twitter