Ohio man dies after motorcycle strikes truck on I-75 in Frenchtown Township
A fiery crash involving a motorcycle and semi-truck amid heavy traffic on Interstate 75 in Monroe County resulted in the death of the motorcycle rider, the Monroe County (Michigan) Sheriff's Office said.
The crash happened about 2:18 p.m. Monday on I-75, between Exit 18/Nadeau Road and Exit 20/I-275 in Frenchtown Township. At the time of the crash, all northbound lanes were congested with traffic because a temporary Michigan Department of Transportation work zone closed two of the three lanes ahead of the crash scene.
Deputies said William R. Marbuery, 53, of Cleveland, Ohio, was operating a 2016 Harley-Davidson motorcycle northbound in the center lane. For reasons that are not yet known, the motorcycle struck the rear of a trailer pulled by a 1992 Kenworth tractor driven by Jeffrey Pence Sandy, 62, of Romeo.
After the impact, Marbuery fell from the motorcycle and the Harley-Davidson caught on fire.
The tractor-trailer came to a stop in the center lane.
The motorcycle rider was pronounced dead at the scene, deputies said. He was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
Agencies and teams assisting on the scene included Frenchtown Township Fire Department, Monroe Community Ambulance, Michigan Department of Transportation, Michigan State Police, Monroe County Sheriff's Office Victim Services Unit and Monroe County Sheriff's Office Chaplain Program.
Northbound I-75 in that area was shut down for hours, forcing interstate traffic to detour onto M-125 or U.S. 24 through the city of Monroe on Monday afternoon. The highway reopened at about 6:27 p.m., according to MDOT traffic reports.
The crash remains under investigation by the sheriff's office Traffic Services Division and Uniformed Services Division. The agency asks that anyone with information that can assist in the investigation contact them at 734-240-7725 or submit a tip to Crime Stoppers of Michigan at 800-SPEAK-UP.
