Woman dies after crashing into gravel hauler on I-75

HAZEL PARK — A woman allegedly driving too fast lost control of her vehicle on Interstate 75  and spun into the path of a truck that killed her, state police said.

According to Lt. Michael Shaw with the Michigan State Police, the incident occurred on northbound I-75 near Woodward Heights Boulevard in Hazel Park around 6:40 a.m. Feb. 20.

The deceased was a 24-year-old woman from Houston, Texas, who had been driving her Jeep Compass alongside a Kenworth gravel hauler. She reportedly lost control of her vehicle and began spinning out of control, sliding into the truck’s path, which plowed into the driver’s side of the Jeep and pushed it about 750 feet before finally managing to stop.

The driver of the Jeep was declared dead at the scene, while the driver of the gravel hauler was reportedly unharmed.

“We continue to remind drivers to slow down and drive carefully when road conditions change,” Shaw said in a statement on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, the same day as the incident. “Troopers investigated over 35 preventable crashes across the district since midnight.”

Earlier that week, on Feb. 17, the Michigan State Police reported that 22 people had died on Michigan roadways within the past week, raising traffic deaths so far in 2025 to 94 — 20 fewer than this same time last year.

“Excessive speed, and following too closely, seem to be the main risky driving behaviors leading to these preventable crashes,” Shaw said in a followup interview.

He noted that in the case of the Texan woman, it appears she had been speeding. Shaw did not say whether other factors may have been involved, such as substance use or distracted driving. The investigation was ongoing, pending medical examiner reports.

But with the final phase of the state’s “Restore the Reuther” project underway, he said all motorists should be extra careful when driving on I-75, which will see traffic detoured from I-696.

In particular, eastbound I-696 will be closed this year and next, detouring via southbound M-10 (Lodge Freeway/Northwestern Highway), eastbound M-8 (Davison Freeway), and northbound I-75 back to eastbound I-696. Westbound I-696 will remain open, with periodic lane closures.

“Drivers need to know what route they are taking before the construction starts,” Shaw said. “Leave early, and keep your speeds at or below the posted speed limit.”