Traffic on eastbound I-96 turned deadly today when a 23-year-old driver was killed after his sedan struck the rear of a tow truck near Outer Drive in Detroit. Troopers and emergency crews pronounced the driver dead at the scene, and the tow-truck operator was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Michigan State Police temporarily shut down lanes while investigators documented the scene and cleared debris.
According to MLive, troopers said the sedan had been traveling in the center lane when it lost control and collided with the back of a tow-truck bed on eastbound I-96 near Outer Drive. The driver, identified in the police update only by age, was pronounced dead at the scene, and officials are withholding his name until family members can be notified. Michigan State Police say they are continuing to investigate the crash to determine the cause.
Roadside risk and ‘Move Over’ compliance
Crashes involving stopped service vehicles remain a common hazard on busy highways, and safety advocates say too many drivers still blow past flashing lights without slowing or changing lanes. A 2025 study by AAA found that about one in three drivers failed to slow down or move over at roadside incidents, according to AAA. The group says that kind of noncompliance puts everyone at risk and shows the need for more aggressive public education…