ORANGE TOWNSHIP, MI : Rollover crash near the 69 mile marker on eastbound I-96 on Saturday, 29th February, 2020

A rollover crash Saturday evening prompted a second, fatal crash on I-96.

The first crash happened around 6:40 p.m. near the 69 mile marker on eastbound I-96. The Ionia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a one-car rollover crash involving a GMC Safari van driven by a 27-year-old female from the Grand Rapids area. A witness said the van was gaining on a semi truck when the van veered at the last second to avoid a collision and lost control.

The van drove off the roadway and rolled over. According to authorities, two children, ages seven and three were ejected from the vehicle during the crash.

The children were taken to Helen Devos Hospital to be checked out and are expected to survive, according to authorities.

The driver of the van was uninjured in the crash. Police have not released whether the driver was related to the children, names are being withheld at this time.

Alcohol was not believed to be a factor in the crash, according to police. This incident remains under investigation.

While traffic on I-96 was slowed and backed up for this rollover crash, another crash occurred just after 7 p.m. on I-96 east of M-66.

After traffic was slow from the previous crash and was nearly stopped, a vehicle driven by a 34-year-old man from Detroit failed to slow down, hitting several vehicles from behind.

As a result, a 29-year-old man sitting in the rear passenger seat was killed.


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