Three traffic crashes on the U.S.-131 expressway Thursday claimed the lives of two people and shut down the freeway between the Martin (No. 55) and Bradley (No. 61) exits.
Allegan County Sheriff’s authorities were reconstructing the accidents all afternoon and into the evening while area fire department personnel were directing traffic off U.S-131 and onto nearby north-south arteries.
Capt. Scott Matice of the Sheriffs’ Dept. said the first crash occurred at about 11:45 a.m. near the 60-mile marker just south of the Gun Lake Casino when a pedestrian believed to have been working on a broken down vehicle stepped into the lane of traffic and was struck by a semi traveling north on the freeway.
The pedestrian later was pronounced deceased on scene. The driver of the semi was not injured.
About two hours afterward there was a four-car crash near mile marker 54 just south of Martin, where there was residual traffic backup from the first accident. The driver of a mid-size pickup truck failed to stop for the backed up traffic, causing a crash with three vehicles. An occupant of one of the vehicles struck was severely injured and died on scene.
No other injuries for any of the other occupants of the other vehicles.
Michigan State Police then investigated a third crash near the on US-131 near the other two accidents. It was reported that a semi struck the back of a pickup and pushed it forward into another semi.
The northbound lanes from the Plainwell exit (No. 49) to Shelbyville (124th Avenue, No. 59 were shut down for most the afternoon and into the evening.
The Allegan County Sheriff’s Dept. was assisted by Wayland EMS, Wayland Fire, Yankee Springs Fire, Life EMS, Gun Lake Tribal Police and Michigan State Police.
Names of those killed are not being released until next of kin is notified.
COVER PHOTO: This was one of the survivors of the three fatal traffic crashes that occurred Thursday on U.S.-131.