1 dead in 6-car crash on I-94 in Chesterfield Township

CHESTERFIELD TWP., Mich. (WJBK) - A six-vehicle crash involving a semi-truck has left one person dead and a I-94 shut down in Chesterfield Township.

The accident happened just south of 23 Mile Road at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, leaving a fiery aftermath.

Not just one vehicle but six were involved in a collision on the highway. Five other drivers suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Police said the truck driver, a 38-year-old from Caseville, Michigan, who survived the crash, may have hit a line of cars that were stopped to merge on an exit ramp, according to witnesses.

“I kind of noticed in the distance the flames and thought maybe it was the reflection off another truck," said Aaron Anglewicz, a witness. "As I got closer I realized it was another vehicle on fire."

“Debris in the road, a couple of cars in the ditch over there off to the side of the freeway," he said.

The pictures snapped by witnesses show a semi-truck still in its lane but on fire with two other vehicles turned perpendicular to the road, pinned together.

“There was no way anyone was going to open those up he was pinned in between two cars," said Anglewicz.

It would get worse before help would arrive. 

“That car actually started to engulf right after I snapped that photo that was there," he said.

Firefighters worked hard to put the multi vehicle fire out and spent hours piecing together what may have caused the crash. Aaron says this stretch of highway is known to be congested at times. 

“The lane ends right there, it bottlenecks down to two lanes after being three," he said.

The question remains as to what caused the crash. As for navigating around get off at 21 Mile head north on Gratiot to 23 Mile and then get back on I-94 in Chesterfield Township.