By GABRIEL GOODWIN
Sunday Times Newspapers
ALLEN PARK — A crash Jan. 26 that left two people dead and a third in critical condition on west I-94 near Southfield and Pelham roads is being investigated by the Michigan State Police.
The single-car collision occurred about 3:50 a.m. The vehicle was travelling west on I-94 near Pelham Road when the driver lost control of the vehicle, Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw said in a statement.
The 2002 Nissan was exiting the expressway when it struck the end of the guardrail sideways while the driver tried regain control, he said, and the driver and front passenger were pronounced dead at the scene.
A third occupant, found in the back seat of the vehicle when Allen Park firefighters arrived, Fire Chief Douglas LaFond said, was transported to Oakwood Hospital & Medical Center in Dearborn.
Fire Chief Douglas LaFond said rescue personnel were able to get the crash survivor to the hospital within five to 10 minutes because she was not completely trapped in the back seat. She was transported priority one because of the critical injuries she received.
None of the occupants’ information has been released, but LaFond said a man and two women were inside of the vehicle. LaFond believed the occupants were in their mid 20s to early 30s and said neither of the two pronounced dead were from the area.
In the statement, Shaw said alcohol involvement is unknown, but the roadway was clear and dry at the time of the incident.
The state police responded to the scene first and called in the Allen Park Fire Department. LaFond said the department responded in about six minutes.
Dearborn firefighters were called to provide mutual aid, he said, because of the third occupant and Allen Park only has two ambulances. The scene was cleared around 7 a.m., so the state police and medical examiner could process the scene.
(Gabriel Goodwin can be reached at [email protected])