DDN – A 57-year-old Fenton woman died and five others were seriously injured in a three-vehicle crash in Oakland County.
The collision happened on New Year’s Day at 3:09 a.m. on westbound I-96, east of the South Hill Road overpass in Lyon Township.
The 57-year-old Fenton lady was a backseat passenger in a 2016 Ford Explorer, which officials say rear-ended a 2025 Chevy Trax stopped in the second lane of I-96 with only its warning lights turned on.
The reason why the Trax, driven by a 30-year-old man from Ypsilanti, was stopped.
According to officials, after colliding with the Trax, the Explorer faced east in the westbound lane and was hit head on by a 2018 Jeep Compass driven by a 75-year-old woman from Leslie, Michigan.
Following the second crash, all occupants of the Ford Explorer were removed before it caught fire.
Occupants included:
• The driver was taken to the hospital and listed in serious condition. He wore a seatbelt.
• The driver’s 51-year-old wife, the front seat passenger, was taken to the hospital and is in bad condition. She wore a seatbelt.
• The 57-year-old Fenton woman in the rear left passenger seat died at the scene. Her seatbelt usage is unknown.
• The rear right passenger, an 82-year-old Fenton resident (husband of deceased), was taken to the hospital and is in critical condition. His seat belt usage is unclear.
According to officials, the driver of the Jeep Compass was wearing a seat belt when he was transferred to a Metro Detroit hospital and is in critical condition.
The Chevrolet Trax driver was transported to a Metro Detroit hospital, where he is listed in stable condition.
A blood draw was conducted for the driver according to a search warrant, and officials say the blood results are waiting. Officials believe he was wearing a seatbelt, but drinking may have played a role in the accident.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit is looking into the event.
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