Semi-truck crash kills 4 and injures 17 after the truck plowed through Michigan traffic
Semi-trucks are no joke. Maximum weights for these long-haulers on American roads can reach 80,000 lbs. Their massive weights make them many multiples heavier than the average car, truck, or SUV. Unfortunately, a semi-truck crash can have devastating consequences, like a recent wreck in Michigan.
A tragic semi-truck crash in Michigan killed four and injured many after the truck driver claimed ‘he could not stop his vehicle in time’
A semi-truck crash involving smaller vehicles can often result in fatalities and serious injuries. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), large trucks accounted for 6% of all fatal crashes in the United States in 2022. While that might not seem like much, the figure represents a 1.8% increase over the previous year.
Tragically, a recent incident in Michigan contributed to those fatal crash statistics. Michigan State Police reported that a semi-truck crash crashed into stationary vehicles in traffic. In a social media statement, the state police noted that “a semi-truck with [a] trailer was [heading] westbound on the expressway coming up on stopped traffic.”
Worryingly, the police statement suggests that the driver didn’t see the traffic before slamming into the stationary vehicles. “It appears the driver of the semi-truck did not see the backup and could not stop his vehicle in time.”
Unfortunately, the crash claimed four lives in two vehicles. One of the vehicles, a Chevrolet Trax, weighed around 3,000 lbs. That’s hardly a match for a fast-moving commercial vehicle. Tragically, all three occupants died in the crash. The fourth victim was driving a Ford F-150 when the semi-truck ran into traffic, per the Associated Press.
The crash also caused 17 injuries among other drivers and passengers. Police officers reported that emergency medical services (EMS) took all of the injured people to Sparrow and McLaren Hospital in Lansing, Michigan. Understandably, some commenters were less-than-kind about the commercial vehicle driver’s lack of awareness. One response on the Michigan State Police X (formerly Twitter) page read “A semi truck that sits up 2x higher didn’t see the traffic stopped?”
