Novi man dies in head-on collision

A Novi man was killed in a head-on collision on Beck Road between Eight Mile and Nine Mile roads Aug. 29. 

Steven Erno, 62, of Novi, was driving a Ford Fusion northbound on Beck Road between Eight Mile and Nine Mile roads just before 5:08 p.m. when his Fusion crossed over the median and drove into a GMC truck that was heading southbound, according to Novi police. Erno was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck was being driven by a 44-year-old Plymouth resident who police said was unharmed. 

“It is believed at this time that the Fusion crossed the centerline and collided with the GMC truck,” said Lt. Adam Elsen, of the Novi Police Department.

“It was essentially a head-on collision. I’m not exactly sure if there were some angles involved or what, but crossing over the line would generally be a head-on type of collision,” he said.

The crash closed the area of Beck Road from Eight Mile to Nine Mile for nearly six and a half hours. 

“We had accident investigators out. Our detective is still doing follow-up to determine, to collect all the evidence before we can determine what and how it happend,” Elsen said. “A crash investigation takes a good period of time to complete.”

He said that while the roads were closed, an investigation of the scene was conducted, the vehicles were removed from the scene and the medical examiner had to come out to the scene.  

“There’s a lot of moving parts to completing this type of investigation,” Elsen said. 

Elsen said that the cause of the crash has yet to be determined, but alcohol and drugs are not believed to have been a factor.

“The investigation is still underway for that. There’s nothing to indicate that (drugs and alcohol were a factor) but of course an autopsy is being conducted and that will rule out that for sure,” Elsen said. 

He said it is hard to say how long the investigation will take but that the autopsy results could take several days to a couple of weeks. He said the final autopsy results will be the last part they will be waiting for to determine the cause of the crash.