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Man Dies After Driving Through Construction Barricade, Off Unfinished Overpass

MADISON HEIGHTS (WWJ) -- A 21-year-old Holly man died after he drove a pickup truck around and through two construction barricades, crashing from the southbound I-75 overpass onto 12 Mile Road early Friday morning.

Michigan State Police identified the driver as Cody Petzold, while a passenger who was in the pickup is hospitalized. Michigan State Police are investigating the accident which occurred around 2:40 a.m.

According to police, the pickup entered I-75 from the closed ramp and drove through an additional barricade on the freeway into the section of the bridge that was under construction. The vehicle drove off of the bridge, turned over and landed on the roadway below.

Michigan Department of Transportation spokeswoman Diane Cross said that barricades have been up for two months because a portion of the overpass that was hit by a truck in October has been removed.

"We followed the law on what the barricades are," Cross said. "The car went around them onto, we believe -- and it's still early, there's an investigation going on by police -- that he drove onto the grass to get onto the ramp. So, it wasn't a matter that he could get on the road through that, but he went up and over and around. And then at the top of the ramp, he drove through that barricade."

Even though it appears the driver went around the barricades, Cross says MDOT crews will be putting concrete barriers on the ramp in hopes of avoiding any future accidents.

"We did have barricades up on 12 Mile and at the top of the ramp," Cross said. "Unfortunately, it has been closed since late October and it looks like we're having to have that bridge piece that needs to be replaced retrofitted, and that's not going to be until the spring."

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