Kalamazoo County authorities believe a vehicle heading the wrong way down US-131 caused a head-on crash that killed three people and critically injured two others.
It happened around 4:45 p.m. on southbound US-131 near the exit for Business Loop I-94, also known as Stadium Drive in Oshtemo Township, just west of Kalamazoo.
Kalamazoo County Undersheriff Paul Matyas said a preliminary investigation indicates a northbound driver turned onto the exit ramp that leads onto stadium drive, entering the highway’s southbound lanes.
The vehicle collided head-on with another vehicle. Matyas said a car and pickup truck were involved in the crash, but it’s unclear who was heading the wrong way.
Matyas said two people in the car and one person in the pickup truck died at the scene.
Firefighters freed two others from the pickup truck. They were taken to Bronson Methodist Hospital with “very critical” injuries, according to Matyas.
Matyas believes all the victims are from the Kalamazoo County area, but authorities have not yet positively identified them.
He said the intersection where the driver took a wrong turn onto the highway was redone last year.
“I’m sure MDOT will be out here investigating further,” he added.
Both the Oshtemo Township Fire Department and Portage Department of Public Safety responded to the crash.
Online: Traffic conditions map
Matyas expected the right lane of southbound US-131 to remained blocked at exit 36 for Stadium Drive until about 7:15 p.m. Traffic was backed up for miles shortly after the crash.
The area reopened around 7:45 p.m. Friday.
On WB-96 near Grand Rapids and the East Beltline has a crash closing 96 and all traffic is exiting at Alden Nash Ave exit 52 in Lowell.
Authorities are investigating a series of three separate crashes there Friday. The highway reopened after 8 p.m.
Katy Krantz an Ionia County Dispatcher and CTO says, "due to a fatal accident at Westbound I-96 near M-6 in Kent County, traffic is being diverted off WB I-96 at exit 59 in Ionia County, onto Grand River Avenue (Cascade Rd in Kent County). Kent County estimates the freeway will be closed at the accident scene for approximately another two hours. Deputies from Kent and Ionia Counties and MSP troopers are trying to clear out the stopped traffic as quickly as they can."