Around 09:12 AM Wednesday, the Ionia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a personal injury accident involving two semi-tractors/trailers, one of which, caught on fire. The accident resulted in westbound lanes of I-96 being blocked off at Jordan Lake Rd. and one man sent to the hospital for treatment.
Deputies say a semi-tractor/trailer driven by a 50-year-old man from Highland Park had fallen asleep behind the wheel, colliding with another semi-tractor/trailer driven by an Iowa man. The Highland Park man was able to escape out the driver’s side window after his semi had become engulfed in flames but had suffered burns from the incident. The Iowa man did not have any injuries and was able to drive away from the scene.
As a result of the crash, the Highland Park man was transported to Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids with non-life threatening injuries..
The Ionia County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Michigan State Police, LIFE EMS, Berlin & Orange Fire, Lake Odessa Fire, Greens’ Towing, I-96 Towing, MDOT, and the County Road Commission.
