GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Police are investigating a fatal crash that happened early Sunday morning on I-96 in Kent County.
A wrong-way driver in an SUV heading east in the westbound lanes on I-96 near the East Beltline exit hit another vehicle just before 3 AM, according to Michigan State Police.
Police had the portion of I-96 where the crash happened between Cascade and the East Beltline shut down for most of the early morning while they investigated and cleared the scene.
The at-fault driver is a 43-year-old woman from the Grand Rapids area. She was driving an SUV that collided head on with a passenger car. Both vehicles caught fire, and a passerby was able to pull the woman from her SUV. Her injuries are unknown at this time. The driver of the passenger vehicle was killed. Both drivers were the only occupants in their vehicles.
Police believe alcohol played a role in the crash and they say it's unclear where the driver entered the highway going the wrong way.
The names of the two drivers are not being released at this time, pending family notification. The crash remains under investigation, and police had the highway back open by around 8 a.m.
