Wrong-Way Driver Killed In Head-On Crash With Semi Truck

MONROE COUNTY (WWJ) - Authorities say a 29-year-old Livonia man was killed when he crashed head-on into a semi truck on I-275 in Monroe County.

The accident happened around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on southbound I-275 near Carleton-Rockwood Road in Ash Township.

According to police, Siddhartha Verma was driving the wrong direction on the freeway for about two miles before his vehicle collided head-on with a semi truck, which was traveling in the right lane.

Upon impact, Verma was ejected from his vehicle, which split into several pieces, coming to rest in the grass median of the freeway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The semi-truck caught fire upon impact and came to a rest along the right shoulder. The driver, a 54-year-old man from Boston, Mass., minor injuries and as transported to a hospital for treatment.

The crash remains under investigation. It wasn't immediately clear if alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash.

The freeway was closed for about five hours overnight but has since reopened.