GUN PLAIN TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- One person is dead, another is hospitalized following a crash on southbound US-131 near Plainwell.
It happened around 6:10 a.m. Wednesday, north of 102nd Avenue in Gun Plain Township.
The southbound lanes were closed for about four-and-a-half-hours while the Allegan County Sheriff's Office conducted an on-scene investigation. Allegan County dispatchers told WOOD Radio the freeway reopened just before 11 a.m.
Deputies say they arrested the driver of a pickup truck that hit a disabled S-U-V that two men were working on along the shoulder of the freeway. One man died, the other was taken to a hospital with serious injuries. The Sheriff's Office says the driver of the pickup was arrested at the scene.
No names had been released at the time of publishing mid-afternoon Wednesday.
Here are more details from an initial ACSO news release:
Preliminary investigation indicates that a pickup travelling southbound on US131 struck a disabled SUV that was on the shoulder of SB US131 near the 48 mile marker. Two subjects were outside of the disabled vehicle and were working on the vehicle when it was struck. One of the two individuals was determined to be deceased upon arrival of first responders. The second individual suffered serious injuries, and was transported to a local hospital. The pickup was occupied only by the driver, who was not injured. The driver of the pickup was arrested at the scene and transported to the Allegan County Jail where he is currently awaiting arraignment on charges related to the crash. The highway was closed for investigation and has since been reopened. This crash remains under investigation by the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Team. The names of the victims and pickup truck driver will not be released until the arraignment and notification of family/friends.
The Allegan County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Michigan State Police, Plainwell Department of Public Safety, Otsego Police Department, Gun Plain Fire Department, Plainwell EMS, MDOT, Allegan County Medical Examiner’s Office, and Allegan County Central Dispatch.
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