Lansing, Mich. – A fatal traffic accident on westbound I-96 in Alaiedon Township has claimed the life of a shuttle bus driver, closing the freeway for several hours on Wednesday afternoon.
According to Michigan State Police, the incident occurred at mile marker 112, where a shuttle bus, contracted by the Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA), collided with the trailer of a semi-truck. Both vehicles were severely damaged, with the bus catching fire upon impact. Emergency crews quickly responded to the scene, extinguishing the fire by the time news crews arrived.
The Ingham County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the shuttle bus was occupied solely by the driver, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not yet released the name of the victim. The driver of the semi-truck was unharmed. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, though initial reports indicate that westbound traffic was slowed due to a separate crash nearby.
A CATA spokesperson expressed condolences on behalf of the agency and its contracted service provider, Transdev, which employed the driver. “On behalf of everyone at CATA and its contracted service provider, Transdev, we express sincere condolences and heartache regarding the tragic death of a Transdev driver,” the spokesperson said. “We are cooperating fully with law enforcement officials as they investigate.”
The freeway was closed for several hours as police and emergency responders worked at the scene. Westbound traffic was diverted onto Williamston Road, and the closure affected nearby Exit 117, near Williamston. By 10:31 p.m. Wednesday night, authorities had reopened the freeway.
This incident is one of two crashes that disrupted traffic on I-96 that afternoon. A second crash, involving another semi-truck near Okemos Road, occurred shortly before the fatal collision. While no injuries were reported in the second crash, Michigan State Police are continuing their investigation into that incident as well.
The Ingham County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone who may have witnessed the crash or who has information that could assist in the investigation to contact Sgt. Adam Jackson at (517) 676-8211.
As authorities work to determine the cause of the crash, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of traffic conditions and the dangers drivers face on Michigan’s roadways.
