By Jon King / news@whmi.com


A Wayne County man was killed early Saturday in a single-vehicle crash on I-96 in Handy Township.

The Livingston County Sheriff's Office says deputies were dispatched at approximately 4:30 Saturday morning to a crash on eastbound I-96 near Wallace Road.
 
A preliminary investigation indicates that a 28-year-old Wayne resident was eastbound on I-96 when it appears he fell asleep at the wheel.  His vehicle left the roadway and struck the guardrail causing it to overturn and re-enter the roadway.  The driver was partially ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.  His 32-year-old passenger, a female from Garden City, was transported to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
 
The driver was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash while alcohol use remains under investigation by the Livingston County Major Crash Team.
 
Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Ingham County Sheriff's Office, Fowlerville Area Fire Department and Livingston County EMS.  I-96 was closed for approximately 3 hours during the investigation.

Meanwhile, a separate crash Friday night, also on I-96 near Fowlerville, sent a Jackson man to the hospital. Deputies were dispatched just after 8pm to a single-vehicle crash on I-96 east of Fowlerville Road in Handy Township.

A preliminary investigation indicated an 18-year-old man from Jackson was eastbound on I-96 when the accelerator on his 2014 Chrysler Town & Country van apparently malfunctioned. The driver called 911 to advise them of the situation, but shortly thereafter his vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree on the sound side of the freeway.

Fire personnel extricated the driver and he was transported to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing by Livingston County EMS, where he was last listed in stable condition. The driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle and was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. Alcohol and speed do not appear to be factors in the crash, which remains under investigation by the Livingston County Major Crash Team.

Deputies were assisted on the scene by the Fowlerville Fire Department, Howell Area Fire Department and Livingston County EMS.