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Nine hospitalized after crash with semi-truck in Canton
Five of the victims had been trapped in the vehicle that struck the semi-truck, while the other four were police officers that rescued them.
CANTON, Mich. (FOX 2) - Police in Canton are investigating an explosion involving a semi-truck and an SUV, closing off a busy intersection and injuring nine people.
Big picture view:
More than five hours after it all unfolded, the scene is still active and cleanup continues at Ford and Haggerty following a fiery crash involving a semi-truck and a Jeep.
Video shows just how intense the fire was earlier today, along with the thick plumes of smoke that followed.
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Canton crash caught on camera, leaves 9 hospitalized
Crews are still on scene as they continue to investigate what happened here. Just take a look at the damage: the side of the semi is smashed in, the front completely blown up, and underneath a Jeep, completely mangled.
Canton police say nine people were injured and taken to the hospital. Five were occupants inside the vehicle, and four were police officers trying to help those trapped inside.
9 hospitalized after fiery crash in Canton Township involving semi-truck
Five of the victims had been trapped in the vehicle that struck the semi-truck, while the other four were police officers that rescued them.
What they're saying:
FOX 2 spoke with a bartender at the Bowery Grill and Pub, right across the street from where this happened. She says in all her years of bartending, this intersection is the worst, and she was shocked by what happened today.
"It was huge, it was horrible, and then a second boom came and shook the building again, that’s when the big flames came," said bartender Danica Dark. "Some of us cried. I mean, it was horrific to see that. Then there was a gentleman laying on the cement that they had brought out, and then a second gentleman also out there. We thought maybe someone passed away. So I called the owner and told him we should close early because something really bad happened."
FOX 2 also spoke with someone who heard and felt the explosion nearby.
"The floor started shaking, and we heard a really loud boom," said eyewitness Cameron Martin. "We all went outside and there were people lying in the street, the truck flames 30 feet high, and everyone was freaking out because it’s right in the middle of two gas stations. There were police officers saying, ‘Hey, you need to stop pumping gas right now, you need to evacuate.’ Everybody’s freaking out. There were six ambulances, five fire trucks, everyone’s just losing their minds. It’s a lot of chaos."
What's next:
The Bowery Grill and Pub is normally open until 10 p.m., but after the tragic accident, they closed early at 3 p.m. All intersections remain closed at this time and are expected to stay that way for the next several hours as cleanup continues.