DETROIT (WXYZ) — Five people are dead, including a child, and multiple other people were hospitalized following three separate crashes on metro Detroit freeways overnight.
The first crash happened around 11:45 p.m. Saturday on westbound Davison near I-75. That's where Michigan State Police say a child died after being ejected from one of three cars involved in the crash.
Investigators say all three vehicles were traveling west when a silver Chevrolet Impala rear-ended another vehicle, causing that driver to lose control and hit a third vehicle.
Six people were in the Impala and a child was thrown from the vehicle. The child was taken by Highland Park police to the hospital and died.
The other five people in the Impala were taken to the hospital with injuries ranging from minor to critical. State police say the driver was arrested for operating while intoxicated causing death.
One person died after a second crash that occurred just over an hour later around 1 a.m. on southbound I-75 near Schaefer.
MSP says a white Chevrolet Tahoe was driving south at what they believe was a high rate of speed. They say the driver lost control, struck a concrete barrier and the vehicle rolled multiple times.
Three females were in the vehicle, troopers say. Two of them, including the driver, were ejected from the vehicle. A third person was trapped inside and needed to be pulled out. They were all taken to the hospital to be treated for their injuries.
One of the passengers, a female from Roseville, died, MSP said later Sunday morning.
Speeding and reckless driving are believed to have contributed to the crash.
Both freeways were shut down for hours, but have since reopened.
A third crash involving one vehicle happened around 2 a.m. on the Lodge Freeway near Wyoming Avenue. Three people died in this crash.
MSP says the vehicle was driving south when the driver failed to negotiate a curve. The vehicle left the freeway and went up an embankment, through shrubbery and became airborne before landing on the entrance ramp to southbound on the Lodge Freeway from Wyoming Avenue, where it hit a concrete barrier.
The driver and two passengers, all Detroit residents, died, troopers said later Sunday morning.
Alcohol is suspected as a contributing factor in the crash.
