Semi crashes over barrier at I-75 and Dearborn Street, MDOT details clean-up plan

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Police are on the scene where a semi truck crashed through the barrier of I-75 and landed below the freeway near Dearborn Street.

It happened shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday. According to Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw, the semi was driving in the left lane of I-75 northbound. 

The driver of the semi said another vehicle cut him off and he veered onto the left shoulder, hitting the median wall.

That caused the driver to lose control of the truck, which went through all the lanes of I-75 northbound and crashed through the right-hand barrier of the bridge and onto the ground below, near Dearborn Street.

The truck did not hit any other vehicles and the driver of the truck was not injured. He was transported to the hospital as a precaution.

The right lane of I-75 northbound and the left lane of I-75 southbound were closed for much of the afternoon.

"For you to flip over in a semi and live ... you have to believe in God," said local resident Jonathan Taylor. "I'm messed up about it."

MDOT will need to survey the damage to the median and barrier walls, before determining when these lanes will reopen.

"We are going to be doing some reconstruction tonight, cleaning up some debris on the roadway," said MDOT Spokeswoman Diane Cross. "We're going to remove the barrier wall that's hanging right now. What we're going to do is once that's all cleaned up, we will put steel guard rail through there so at least then it is a safe situation so we can open all lanes to traffic."

Police do not yet have a description on the vehicle that cut the truck driver off.