A Clio woman was arrested early Saturday following a chain-reaction crash on I-696 that resulted in the death of a motorcyclist.
According to Michigan State Police, the 30-year-old woman was driving a BMW sedan westbound on I-696 near Campbell Road at approximately 12:30 a.m. when she rear-ended a Nissan sedan. This collision caused the Nissan to crash into the barrier wall along the right shoulder, while the BMW subsequently struck the median wall before coming to a stop under the Campbell Road overpass.
Witnesses reported that a 20-year-old motorcyclist from Ypsilanti, riding a Suzuki motorcycle, collided with the stopped BMW shortly after the initial crash. The impact resulted in the motorcyclist being thrown from his bike. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police received prior reports of the motorcyclist driving recklessly at high speeds before the incident. At the scene, authorities detected a smell of alcohol on the Clio woman’s breath and administered field sobriety tests, which she failed. She was subsequently arrested for suspicion of drunken driving.
“This crash highlighted the dangerous driving behaviors we see causing preventable crashes,” Michigan State Police First Lt. Mike Shaw stated. “We continue to remind drivers to slow down, especially in construction zones, and do not get behind the wheel impaired.”
Police have not released the name of the Clio woman involved in the incident.