One person is dead following a crash between two semis on I-94 in Benton Township on Monday.
The Benton Township Police Department says it happened around 5:40 a.m. in the eastbound lanes near mile marker 29. First responders arrived at the scene to find both trucks on fire.
The preliminary investigation has determined one of the semis had been parked on the shoulder of the road when it was struck by the second semi. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department’s Accident Reconstruction Team is now investigating.
The driver of one of the semis died and has yet to be identified. An autopsy is planned at Western Michigan University. The other driver was uninjured and police say he’s cooperating with investigators.
The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department HAZMAT team also responded to clean up spilled diesel fuel and oil that spilled into the road, although police say neither truck was carrying hazardous chemicals.
The crash closed down eastbound I-94 in the area for several hours. It wasn’t reopened until about 1 p.m.
The Benton Township Police Department says it was assisted at the scene by fire crews from Benton Township, St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, St. Joseph Township, Sodus Township, and Royalton Township. Also assisting at the scene were Michigan State Police, Watervliet police, Medic 1, and the Michigan Department of Transportation.
