“It appears the driver of the semi-truck did not see the backup and could not stop his vehicle in time,” Michigan State Police said in a statement on the social media platform X.
The impact caused the semitruck and several vehicles to catch fire. Police said more than a dozen vehicles were involved in the crash.
Police confirmed four deaths and said 17 people, including the driver of the truck, were injured and transported to nearby hospitals.
Michigan State Police said Sunday that the victims were a 29-year-old man from Carson City who was driving a Ford pickup and three relatives from Lansing who were in a Chevy Trax. They were identified as a 20-year-old female, a 43-year-old female and a 47-year-old male. Police did not say how they were related.
Authorities continued cleanup efforts Sunday and said I-96 near the site of the accident would “be closed for an indefinite period.”