Detroit — A series of vehicle crashes, including one fatality, along Interstate 96 early Sunday culminated with a woman, impaired by drugs and alcohol, plowing her vehicle into a parked Michigan State Police cruiser and injuring a trooper who was inside investigating the earlier accidents, police said.
The incident happened at about 3:05 a.m. Sunday when a trooper from the Metro South post in Taylor saw a tow truck crash into a concrete wall. Police determined the driver of a sedan lost control and collided with the rear of the tow truck’s bed. The 34-year-old driver of the sedan was pronounced dead at the scene, while the tow truck driver was treated for non life-threatening injuries, State Police said in a Sunday X post.
As troopers were on the scene investigating the incident, a second crash happened on the Outer Drive exit ramp involving a semitractor-trailer and SUV.
“The vehicles were moved topside and a trooper began to conduct his investigation into that crash,” state police said. “During his investigation, he was sitting in his patrol vehicle with emergency lights activated when the patrol car was struck on the passenger side by a passenger car.”
The trooper was taken to a hospital and treated for non life-threatening injuries, police said.
“The female driver of the passenger car refused medical treatment,” state police said. “During her interview it was determined that she was impaired by both alcohol and narcotics. She was arrested and transported to a local hospital for a blood draw and lodged.”
“These crashes along I 96 highlighted just some of the risky driving behaviors we are seeing on our roadways,” Michigan State Police 1st Lt. Mike Shaw said in a statement. “In these crashes we saw drivers losing control, being distracted and finally driving under the influence. These crashes led to property damage road closures, a trooper being hurt, and ultimately someone losing their life.”
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: State Police: Impaired driver injures trooper investigating fatal crash
Reporting by George Hunter, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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