LEROY TWP. – Three Lansing residents are among four people who died after a truck crashed into more than a dozen vehicles stopped in a traffic jam on westbound Interstate 96 near Webberville Saturday night, the police said. Michigan State Police.

Two Lansing women, ages 20 and 43, and a 47-year-old Lansing man died in the crash that seriously injured 17 other people, MSP said in a Sunday afternoon update. The unnamed Lansing victims were in a Chevy Trax and were related. The fourth person who died was a 29-year-old Carson City man who was driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck.

The accident occurred around 11:42 p.m., shortly after state police reopened the westbound lanes of the highway due to a power line installation near the M-52 overpass, according to the MSP. The freeway had been closed earlier in the evening so DTE Energy crews could install power lines across it.

I-96 was closed in Ingham County after crash killed 4 people and seriously injured 17 near Webberville

Four people were killed and 17 others were seriously injured after a truck crashed into more than a dozen vehicles stopped in a traffic jam on westbound Interstate 96 near Webberville Saturday night, Michigan State Police said. The impact caused the truck and many of the vehicles involved to catch fire.

Courtesy of Joe Bogue, Owosso

“Troopers had just closed westbound I-96 at M-52 at the overpass and had just reopened the freeway,” MSP said in a social media post. “At that time, numerous vehicles were stopped on the highway. A tractor-trailer was heading west on the highway and approaching stopped traffic. “It appears that the truck driver did not see the backup and was unable to stop his vehicle in time.”

The truck was in the left lane and collided with numerous vehicles, the MSP said, and the impact caused the truck and many of the vehicles involved to catch fire.

Crash on I-96 near Webberville kills 4, seriously injures 17

Four people were killed and 17 others were seriously injured after a truck crashed into more than a dozen vehicles stopped in a traffic jam on westbound Interstate 96 near Webberville Saturday night, Michigan State Police said. The impact caused the truck and many of the vehicles involved to catch fire.

Courtesy of Joe Bogue of Owosso

MSP said early Sunday that it believed “approximately” 15 vehicles, including the semi, were involved in the crash.

The injured truck driver, MSP said Sunday, was taken to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor for treatment. Police said the truck driver’s age and hometown were unknown. Other crash victims were taken to the University of Michigan’s Sparrow and McLaren hospitals in Lansing, police said.

“I-96 westbound at M-52 will be closed for an indefinite period,” MSP said Sunday afternoon. “In addition, northbound and southbound M-52 is closed at the I-96 overpass until the bridge is inspected.”

Colleen Rosso, a spokeswoman for DTE Energy, said night work was scheduled to install power lines to reduce the impact on commuters. The utility works closely with the Michigan Department of Transportation and state police on such projects.

She directed the State Journal to MDOT to see if there were any signs or billboards notifying drivers about work or traffic jams. He emphasized that DTE Energy cannot place traffic signs or billboards on MDOT roads, such as I-96.

“This was a DTE project,” MDOT spokesman Aaron Jenkins said in an email. ”They had permits for work. It’s not an MDOT work zone, but from what I’ve read, MSP was providing traffic control. MSP should be able to tell you about that. The overpass is under evaluation. That’s all we know for now.”

MDOT is planning an inspection of the highway bridge, MSP said.

State police, who could not be reached Sunday afternoon for follow-up questions, said more updates would be released as information becomes available.

The Ingham County Sheriff’s Department, Ingham Northeast Emergency Services Authority, Stockbridge Area Emergency Services Authority and Dansville, Delhi and Meridian Township fire departments assisted.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.