Curves, blind spots, and a semi.

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The problem? As Stroud described it, “There’s a big curve that heads down that way into Lansing, towards 496. And they let people sit right out there until it backed all the way up to the curve between Watertown and Eagle Township. There’s an overpass. And the semi truck didn’t see it (backup), comes around that curve and drove right through the back end of the line of the cars and at least one person is dead.”

Stroud added a chilling detail, explaining that the semi truck was effectively trapped on the overpass with no room to maneuver. He said, “There was nowhere to get off. Nowhere to go. He literally drove over her car. Multiple other vehicles hit two other semis and drove them over the embankment.”

Tragedy struck – with lifesaving aid re-routed.

What’s just as troubling to Stroud: emergency crews couldn’t easily get to the crash victims. He claims State Police barred fire trucks and ambulances from the nearest ramp. He said, “They (MSP) wouldn’t even let the fire trucks and ambulances on the on-ramp to get to where the exit was, because they were told to shut it down…the fire trucks had to back around where the accident was, backtracked it to the north and drive down the side of the freeway to get to the accident where the fatality was.”

Fire chief flags dangerous lack of notice.

Michigan News Source spoke with Delta Township Assistant Fire Chief John Kahler, who said that his crews reached the crash site without a major delay. However, he emphasized that the chain reaction began when traffic came to an abrupt stop on I-96, creating roughly a mile-long backup after MSP shut down the freeway for Vance’s motorcade. While his units were able to reroute and arrive quickly, Kahler noted that he himself was delayed by a secondary roadblock on the way in.

Kahler stressed that his bigger concern was not the response time, but the lack of notice. “Local authorities were not advised of this planned shutdown, so we did not know the freeway was going to be shut down,” he said, adding that such surprise closures could trap ambulances or fire units with critical patients in standstill traffic. He emphasized that MSP allowed no exceptions once the order was given. They wouldn’t let anybody through, he said, “ambulance, fire truck, me – they don’t let anybody through when that shut down’s been ordered.”

While careful not to directly assign blame, Kahler questioned the planning and communication behind the closure. He pointed out that in virtually every other situation – whether a construction project or bridge repair – local emergency managers are notified well in advance so they can adjust coverage and he pointed to MDOT (Michigan Department of Transportation) as being one of the usual notifiers.

Kahler said that “99% of the time” they get prior notice about closures, citing the only times they don’t it is because of security, secrecy and confidentiality. However, Vance’s visit was known publicly days in advance. Kahler called what happened a “flaw” in the system and urged law enforcement agencies to rethink how motorcade security is handled and how information should be relayed to all critical partners.

While he acknowledged the need for security measures to protect VIPs, he pointed out that he was not satisfied how things happened and that officials who were involved in the planning of the freeway shutdown were “not including local law enforcement, police, our dispatch center, our emergency management, the county emergency management, our township” in their planning, adding, “nobody knew this planned stoppage happened.”

He also commented, “I’m surprised we haven’t had a tragedy before. It was tragic that the woman lost her life yesterday.”

MSP follows Secret Service orders.

When asked about the freeway shutdown and blocked access to the crash site, Stroud said he was told the Michigan State Police pointed to Secret Service directives as the reason for their rigid approach. Stroud argued, however, that this doesn’t excuse what happened, noting the orders did not call for them to be carried out in a way that put drivers at such risk.

Michigan News Source requested comment from the MSP regarding the accident, but has not yet received a response. We also contacted the Clinton County Undersheriff to ask about the investigation and whether any wrongdoing by the semi driver was being considered, but he declined to answer questions.

This situation emerges as morale within the Michigan State Police has faltered, with troopers expressing distrust in the director. Collectively, their concerns point to a perceived leadership crisis among rank-and-file officers, potentially undermining public safety due to eroded morale, trust, and operational unity.