MONROE COUNTY, Mich — A teen from Cleveland has died of injuries sustained in a five-vehicle crash in Monroe County, Michigan Friday night, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
In a press release regarding the original incident, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office said the crash occurred in Erie Township on I-75 at 7:11 p.m. The spokesperson said a green 2010 Lexus ES350 was traveling northbound on I-75 in the center lane. Upon reaching the Bay Creek Road overpass, the Lexus rear-ended a red 2014 Toyota Camry carrying a driver and two passengers, including a 14-year-old male in the rear seat.
The Camry was pushed forward, striking a black 2020 Ram 1500. The Camry rotated and left the freeway to the northwest where it struck the median wall and came to rest facing south, the office wrote in the press release. The Ram traveled off the freeway to the northeast and came to rest on the freeway's shoulder.
The Lexus was still in motion from the initial impact and left the freeway to the northwest, where it struck the median wall and re-entered the freeway and struck a gray 2022 Ford Escape in the center travel lane; following this, the Lexus then struck the rear of a red 2022 Volvo tractor-trailer combination. The Escape came to rest north of the crash off of the freeway, while the tractor-trailer came to rest in the right lane of travel.
The driver of the Lexus and their passengers, the driver of the Ram, the driver of the Camry and passengers were transported to the hospital. The drivers of the Escape and the tractor-trailer were not injured.
The 14-year-old passenger of the Camry was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the incident, the spokesperson said, and was hospitalized in critical condition. The teen died of their injuries, according to a press release issued by the sheriff's office Tuesday.
Driver inattention was a contributing factor in the crash, authorities claimed in the press release.
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