Woman, 74, killed in chain-reaction crash on I-96 in Clinton County

EAGLE TWP. — A 74-year-old Sparta woman was killed and two other people were seriously injured in a chain-reaction crash Wednesday afternoon near a construction zone on Interstate 96.

Michigan State Police said four vehicles, including two semi trucks, were involved in the 1:50 p.m. crash in the westbound lanes, near South Grange Road.

A 33-year-old Grand Rapids man was driving a semi in the right lane when he came upon stopped traffic "due to a slow down for a construction zone" state police said in a news release.

"It appears the driver was not paying attention as he failed to slow down" and rear-ended a Chevrolet Cruze driven by the Sparta woman, the release said.

The collision pushed the Cruze into the back of a Land Rover driven by a 62-year-old Rockford woman, forcing the Land Rover into the back of a semi rig driven by a 23-year-old Grand Rapids man. The Land Rover was tossed aside and overturned into a ditch.

"The Chevy Cruze was then crushed between the two semi-trucks," the release said.

The Rockford woman and the semi driver who ran into the Cruze, starting the chain-reaction crash, were taken to a hospital with serious injuries, state police said. Their conditions were unclear.

The driver of the second semi was not injured.

Police did not release the name of the woman who was killed or the two people who were injured.

The westbound lanes were closed for several hours for the investigation and cleanup.

The Clinton County Sheriff’s Department and the Delta Township and Grand Ledge fire departments helped state police at the scene.

Contact Ken Palmer atkpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on X @KBPalm_lsj.