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Ambulance driver killed while responding to crash on I-75; one other also dead

By Jack Nissen and Veronica Meadows
Published  April 3, 2023 7:31am EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 2 Detroit

EMS worker, woman fatally struck by out-of-control driver on I-75

Michigan State Police say the driver of an ambulance that was responding to a single-vehicle crash on I-75 was struck when a Macomb man lost control and struck both the first responder and another woman, killing them both.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Two people died in a tragic collision on a Metro Detroit highway over the weekend when an ambulance worker responding to a crash Sunday morning was struck by another driver.

Both the first responder and an Oak Park woman were killed after a vehicle lost control and hit both of them.

Michigan State Police say the woman was declared dead at the scene and the EMS worker was pronounced dead when he arrived at a hospital.

"If you see an emergency vehicle with its lights on, slow down 10mph below the speed limit and move over. It really is that simple," said First Lieutenant Mike Shaw with MSP. "Our prayers go out to both families dealing with this tragedy."

The fatal collision happened early Sunday morning around 2:15 a.m. when a private ambulance was traveling northbound on I-75 when they stopped to check on a single-car crash. The occupant of the vehicle, identified as a 36-year-old resident of Oak Park, was walking around the crashed vehicle.

MSP said the first responder was helping the woman when another vehicle driven by a 58-year-old man from Washington in Macomb County spun out and hit both the people.

The crash happened near Caniff, on the border between Detroit and Hamtramck, police said.

MORE: Teen kills Detroit man in early Monday shooting on city's west side

The incident has renewed calls for safer driving practices, especially in construction zones and in the presence of emergency vehicles. Fines and prison sentences rise in both locales when a crash occurs.

 "We have construction going on on pretty much every single freeway in Metro Detroit and drivers - none of us are thrilled with it because we have to drive through it, but it's a necessary thing that we take care of the roads," said Diane Cross, a spokeswoman with MDOT.

Either we close lanes to fix the roads or we have to close the roads because they're not safe to drive on. You gotta slow down, you gotta pay attention," she said. "We want everyone to get home every night."

Those found at fault for a crash in a construction zone that kills a worker face up to 15 years in prison. Those that don't move over for an emergency vehicle can be fined $400.