DETROIT – Two people were killed Saturday in a crash involving multiple vehicles on I-75 near Mack Avenue in Detroit, Michigan State Police said.
MSP believes the crash may have been a result of road rage. The inbound lanes of I-75 to downtown were shut down around 11 a.m.
NEW: Victim in chain-reaction crash on I-75 identified
"We were actually coming down to Detroit and it was quite the backup," Brian Pauken said.
The closure centered on the five-car crash. Drivers spun out of control and one SUV flipped.
"So sad. I'm sure there are so many innocent people," said Amy Hecht, who saw the accident.
Two people died in what state police are investigating as a case of road rage. The crash took the life of a 22-year-old woman from Commerce and a 23-year-old woman from White Lake, according to MSP.
"What's wrong with people today? Why can't we get along and have a little patience? We need patience," Hecht said.
MSP kept the freeway shut down for close to four hours.
"We were reminded even though it was a long wait, it was unfortunate what actually happened was the serious part of it," Pauken said.
State police are still looking for the original vehicle and its driver who caused the wreck. It's unclear if that vehicle cut off a car or stopped suddenly.
"I hope there are enough witnesses that they will be able to find somebody," Hecht said.
"I'm sure they'll probably catch them. Let's hope so," Pauken said.
State police have not provided a description of the car or who was behind the wheel.
UPDATE: MSP released the following updated information Sunday morning:
At this time preliminary investigation revealed that a 2011 Ford Edge was traveling in the left center lane of southbound I-75. A 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee was traveling in the left lane. For a yet to be determined reason, the Grand Cherokee entered the left center lane and struck the Edge. The impact caused the driver of the Cherokee to lose control, spin out, and roll over. The impact also caused the driver of the Edge to lose control and hit a 1999 Ford Van causing the van to lose control, spin out, and strike a 2015 GMC Terrain. The Terrain lost control, and rolled over. During the crash a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox was also struck, however investigators have not determined by which vehicle yet. The exact cause of the crash has not been determined and is still under investigation pending autopsy results, vehicle inspections, and evidence possessing and interviews.
There were ten different persons involved in the crash that were transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries and serious injuries. Two passengers of the Jeep Grand Cherokee were killed during the crash. They have been identified as:
A 22 year old female from Commerce
A 23 year old female from White Lake
The Michigan State Police is requesting that anyone that may have witnessed the crash to contact the Metro South Post at 734-287-5000. This investigation is continuing by the Michigan State Police Metro South Post and the crash reconstruction unit.