By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — A 17-month-old boy died after a five-vehicle crash on I-96 between Lansing and Williamston July 6.
Police were in the area responding to a one-vehicle crash about 5 p.m. when they received a call about the second crash less than a mile away.
Once on that scene, witnesses told officers that a semi-truck rear-ended a slow moving vehicle due to the first crash ahead of them.
Next, four other vehicles behind the semi-truck collided in a chain-reaction. One of those vehicles included a family from Dearborn who was traveling to the northern part of the state for a vacation.
The family’s 17-month-old son died as a result of the crash and his five-year-old brother was taken to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries.
Neither the family nor the toddler have been identified because the crash is still under investigation.
Twelve total people involved reported injuries and eight were transported to local hospitals for further treatment.
No charges have been filed yet as the Ingham Regional Crash Investigation Team is assisting the Ingham County Sheriff’s Department with the investigation.
The crashes caused the expressway to be closed for several hours.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected].)