Deadly wrecks on I-75 in metro Detroit another example of preventable accidents, state police say

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Two accidents where people died on the highway in metro Detroit on Monday were both preventable, state police say.

A 91-year-old man and a 4-year-old child died in separate crashes on I-75 near I-94 on Monday afternoon. 

"It was a very deadly day here in Metro Detroit yesterday from different crashes that were all preventable," First Lt. Mike Shaw with state police. 

Tragedy first struck around 1:10 p.m. on Monday when a three-car crash allegedly started after a mom who was potentially intoxicated was traveling with her child. The child was thrown from their car because they weren't strapped into a kid-friendly car seat.

"You got to buckle them in. You got to make sure they’re in a proper car seat. There's a lot of places you can go - fire stations, police departments - that will actually install that car seat for you," said Shaw.

Fifteen minutes later, a woman in her 70s was driving on northbound I-75 near Canfield when she rear-ended the car in front of her. The passenger, her 91-year-old husband, died from the crash.

Records from the crash involving the mother show she has an extensive criminal driving record, which includes driving without a license, no proof of insurance, speeding, no registration, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

"Was she impaired, where was she before, things like that to kind of figure out exactly what occurred," said Shaw.

An investigation into the second crash where the elderly man died is also underway.

"We’re just trying to remind people, risky driving behaviors are all preventable. A thousand people died in traffic crashes, all preventable last year," said Shaw.