1 Pedestrian Killed, Another Critically Injured In Clinton Township Crash

CLINTON TWP. (WWJ) - Authorities say a man was killed and another was critically injured when they were struck by a vehicle while trying to walk to a bus stop in Macomb County.

The incident happened around 5:50 a.m. Wednesday on Gratiot Avenue just south of M-59 in Clinton Township.

Police say two men apparently just got off work and were trying to cross five lanes of traffic to reach a bus stop on the other side of Gratiot when they were struck by a pickup truck. One man was declared dead at the scene, while the other was rushed to McLaren Macomb Hospital in critical condition.

Clinton Township Police Sergeant Chris Allis said there was a crosswalk just down the road that could have made all the difference.

"If you're a driver and it's dark out and you're going 45 miles per hour, you're almost out-driving your headlights," Allis told WWJ's Ron Dewey. "If you're not crossing at the appropriate location, people will not see you or will not be able to stop before they see you in their headlights."

Allis said the accident happened in an area with poor street lighting and limited sidewalks.

"This is a heavy industry area and we have a lot of people using the SMART bus system so there's a lot of workers and it's such a small area that we just get a lot of pedestrians and unfortunately, there's only partial sidewalks for them to walk on and they just don't want to go down to the crosswalk," he said.

The driver involved in the crash stopped at the scene and was questioned by investigators. Allis said drugs, alcohol and excessive speed are not considered factors in the crash, which remains under investigation.

Gratiot Avenue remains closed in both directions while police investigate the scene. Motorists are urged to avoid the area.

For the latest from the roads, stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 during Traffic and Weather on the 8s, 24-hours a day. Check for recent incidents now on the CBS Detroit Traffic Page.