A gravel hauler that overturned Saturday morning has forced the closure of eastbound I-96 for most of the day.
Michigan State Police report that at approximately 10:40 a.m., troopers were dispatched a three-vehicle injury crash on eastbound I-96 at Kent Lake Road.
When troopers arrived, they saw a trailer gravel hauler in the eastbound lanes of I-96 blocking traffic. Troopers also located two other vehicles with heavy damage.
A preliminary investigation indicates that the 53-year-old driver of the semi was traveling westbound I-96 in the right lane. The semi appeared to swerve to the right toward the ditch for an unknown reason and struck the construction cement barrier. It then rolled over into the eastbound side of I-96, where it struck two vehicles.
The driver of the semi and one of the drivers of the vehicles sustained minor injuries and were transported to Providence Hospital in Novi for further treatment.
During the crash, the semi lost about 200 gallons of fuel onto the road and possibly in the drainage ditch.
The investigation and cleanup forced eastbound I-96 to be shut down, with traffic exiting onto Kent Lake Road. The left lane of westbound I-96 was also shut down.
The Michigan Department of Transportation worked with a private company for the hazmat clean up until they finally got the road reopened after 8 p.m.
