By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


A Wayne County man suffered serious injuries in a single-vehicle crash on I-96 Thursday evening near Fowlerville.

The Livingston County Sheriff's Office says deputies were dispatched at about 6pm to a report of a crash on eastbound I-96 east of Wallace Road in Handy Township. A preliminary investigation indicated that a 68-year-old Garden City man was driving eastbound when his vehicle gradually left the roadway, although the specific reason is unknown.

Authorities say the driver traveled across the shoulder and down into the ditch before striking a tree on the south side of the freeway. Fire personnel extricated the driver from the vehicle. He was transported by Livingston County EMS with possible life-threatening injuries to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. The driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle and was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash.

One lane of I-96 was blocked for approximately 2 hours during the investigation. 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 and Livingston County EMS.