1 Dead, 5 Hurt In Oakland County Crash On I-96: Sheriff

LYON TOWNSHIP, MI — A woman was killed and five other people were injured in a New Year's Day crash on Interstate 96 in Oakland County, according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.

The crash happened at 3:09 a.m. Wednesday on westbound Interstate 96, near the South Hill Road overpass in Lyon Township, according to police.

Police said a 2016 Ford Explorer slammed into the back of a 2025 Chevrolet Trax that was stopped in the second lane of the freeway with only its hazard lights on.

After striking the Trax, the Explorer ended up facing east in the westbound lane and struck head-on by a 2018 Jeep Compass, according to police.

The Explorer caught fire after the second crash, but all occupants got out before flames broke out, according to police.

A 57-year-old Fenton woman, who was a backseat passenger in the Explorer, was killed in the crash, according to police.

The driver of the Explorer and his wife, who was in the front passenger seat, were taken to a nearby hospital where they were listed in serious condition, according to police.

A second rear passenger in the Explorer, the husband of the Fenton woman who died at the scene, was also listed in critical condition at a nearby hospital, according to police.

The 75-year-old Compass driver was in critical condition at a nearby hospital, while the 30-year-old Trax driver was in stable condition, according to police.

Investigators do not know why the Trax was stopped on the freeway with its hazard lights on. They do believe alcohol may have played a role in the crash.

Police were still investigating the crash.