Two People Killed In Fiery Crash On I-75 In Troy

TROY (WWJ) Northbound I-75 at Big Beaver remained closed for more than six hours early Monday following a fiery crash that claimed two lives.

Police said the smash-up involved a slow-moving car and a semi-truck loaded with furniture. Both people in the car were killed; their identities have not yet been released. Because the license plate melted, police said they have no way to identify the victims and they're hoping someone comes forward with information on who they could be.

The semi-truck driver hit the car, which was traveling at about 20 miles per hour with its emergency flashers on, just after midnight, police said.

"(The truck) struck the car, pushed it up against the cement wall here, ran over it and drug it down the wall," said Troy police Lt. Bob Redmond. "The gas tank split open, it was a huge fire."

The truck driver managed to jump from the truck and escape the flames to emerge unscathed from the crash, police said. He told officers he hadn't seen the car until it was too late. The car ended up trapped under the flaming semi.

"We had about 150 to 200 foot wall of flames on the freeway at the time, from the gas tank on the truck and the gas tank on the car," Redmond said.

It's unknown if the car was disabled in some way or if alcohol could have been a factor in the crash, police said. An investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information on the crash should call Troy police at 248-524-3477.