A woman is dead following a motorcycle crash Wednesday in Howell Township.

Deputies with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to westbound I-96 and Highland Road at approximately 3:40pm on the report of an accident involving a motorcycle. The preliminary investigation indicated a 44-year-old Hartland resident was operating a 1994 Honda Gold Wing with a 46-year-old female passenger also from Hartland.

The motorcyclist lost control in the rain merging onto westbound I-96 from Highland Road, crossed three lanes of traffic and then came to rest in the median. The driver was transported to the University of Michigan Hospital by Livingston County Ambulance with life threatening injuries while the passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and passenger were both wearing helmets at the time of the crash. Alcohol and speed do not appear to be factors in the crash.

Deputies were assisted at the scene by Hamburg Township Police, Michigan State Police and the Howell Area Fire Department. The freeway remained closed for approximately three hours after the accident, which remains under investigation by the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Safety Bureau. (JK)