1 dead, 3 injured in Hillsdale County traffic crash amid severe weather, police say

A fatal crash early Friday in Hillsdale County was attributed to the severe weather conditions in Michigan at the time, the Michigan State Police said. 

The single-vehicle crash happened about 12:45 a.m. Friday at the intersection of Meridian Road and Hoxie Road in Wheatland Township. Troopers from the Michigan State Police, Jackson post, were called to the area and found that the vehicle had struck a downed tree. The tree fell due to "hazardous storm conditions" at the time, police said. 

The driver, a 21-year-old Hillsdale man, died as a result of his injuries. 

There were three passengers in the vehicle, each of whom had non-life-threatening injuries, and they were taken to a local hospital for treatment. 

A severe weather system that spawned tornadoes in the Chicago area moved through Southern Lower Michigan late Thursday. A tornado watch was issued about 8 p.m. Thursday for an area that included Hillsdale County, and numerous tornado warnings were issued that night along the Michigan-Indiana border.