Driver killed after crashing into two sheriff's deputy vehicles on M-59
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A 29-year-old man was killed Saturday night after crashing into two Oakland County Sheriff's Office vehicles that were stopped and assisting another vehicle on M-59, officials said.
The incident happened about 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19, on eastbound M-59 near Rochester Road in Rochester Hills.
Two deputies were at the scene helping block traffic so that a disabled vehicle that had caught fire earlier that day could be removed from the left lane by a tow truck.
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office says the deputies were sitting in their patrol cars, with the emergency lights activated, blocking the shoulder and the left lane.
Authorities say a 2004 Ford F-150 truck did not slow down or move over and rear-ended the patrol vehicle blocking the left lane, which caused the car to spin and hit the other patrol vehicle.
The truck came to a stop on the side of the road, and the driver was trapped in the vehicle.
The driver, identified as 29-year-old Nicholas Leach, was then extricated from the vehicle and taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The sheriff's office says the rear-ended deputy sustained serious injuries, was taken to a local hospital and is in stable condition.
The second deputy was treated for minor injuries.
The investigation is ongoing.
At this time, the sheriff's office says it is unknown if drugs and alcohol were a factor.
