DETROIT (WXYZ) — I-75 at Warren Avenue in Detroit has reopened after both sides of the freeway closed for several hours Friday due to a crash and tanker truck fire, officials confirmed.
The crash happened around 5 p.m.
Seven people were taken to the hospital, the Detroit Fire Department said. Three of the victims suffered minor injuries. The extent of all the injuries is unknown.
Michigan State Police said a 27-year-old was driving north on I-75 near Warren Avenue and lost control of the car due to speed. The car then hit the side of the truck.
The truck lost control and hit the median wall, which knocked down a light pole, causing a debris field. The truck flipped over the median wall with the driver still inside.
The initial car also flipped on its side, MSP said.
This caused all lanes on I-75 near the crash to be blocked.
After the truck flipped and came to a rest, the chassis of the truck and gas tanks caught fire.
A third vehicle involved also flipped on its side near the truck chassis. That driver was able to get out the car before it caught fire.
MSP said the tanker was carrying about 10,000 gallons of fuel that did not catch fire.
Investigators said rain impacted road conditions during the crash.
“We were extremely lucky that this crash did not end in an explosion and fatalities,” MSP Lt. Mike Shaw said in a statement on Twitter. “Again, rain and bad driving behaviors just don’t mix. When it rains, please slow down.”
The driver of the first car was ticketed for careless driving and for not having insurance.
