Man kills himself on I-75
8/26/2012MONROE — The Monroe County Sheriff’s office is investigating a traffic crash on I-75 today in which a motorist rear-ended two vehicles and then fatally shot himself in the head.
The incident occurred on southbound I-75 north of Nadeau Road in Frenchtown Township shortly before 10:15 a.m.
Deputies said the male driver, whose identity has not been released pending notification of kin, was southbound in his Ford passenger car at a high rate of speed and rammed a southbound Ford pickup. He then continued speeding south and struck the rear of a Toyota passenger car. The Toyota went off the west side of the road into a ditch.
The driver of the Ford passenger car then brought his vehicle to a stop in the median. When witnesses opened the door of the Ford to assist him, he produced a handgun and fired a single fatal shot into his own head, deputies said.
The driver and passenger in the Toyota were taken to Mercy Hospital, Monroe, with minor injuries. The pickup driver was not injured.
Southbound I-75 was reduced to one lane of traffic until noon. The Michigan State Police and Frenchtown Fire Department also responded to the scene.