Man Dies In 696 Crash

(WWJ) -- Police are investigating a crash and car fire which claimed the life of one man along I-696 westbound Friday evening.

State police say the 41-year-old driver of a 2001 BMW was pulled from the driver's seat of his vehicle by Farmington Hills Fire crews, before he was taken to a local hospital and declared dead.

A 31-year-old woman driving a Ram pick-up truck says the BMW struck the back of her vehicle along the westbound side of the freeway near Farmington Road before it passed her and slammed into the guardrail. The car quickly burst into flames.

The crash left the westbound lanes shut down for a brief period of time as crews cleared the wreckage and put out the flames.

Police are not yet sure if drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash or whether the man suffered some sort of medical emergency. Next of kin have not been notified, as the man has not yet been identified.