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Wrong-way teen driver causes head-on crash on I-96

Posted at 3:49 PM, Jun 05, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-05 15:50:17-04

IONIA COUNTY, Mich. — A 16-year-old, believed to be under the influence, crashed head-on into another vehicle while going the wrong way on Interstate 96 early Sunday, according to the Ionia County Sheriff’s Department.

Investigators said the crash happened around 8:42 a.m. Sunday and closed eastbound I-96 for approximately two hours.

The 16-year-old from Hastings was driving his Chrysler convertible west in the eastbound lanes of I-96 near Jordan Lake Road when he crashed head-on into a Pontiac sedan being driven by a 24-year-old woman from Monroe, police said.

Despite serious damage to both vehicles, both drivers and a 27-year-old passenger in the Pontiac were all hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Alcohol and drug use are believed to have contributed to the crash, according to investigators.

Deputies are awaiting toxicology results before sending the case to the Ionia County Prosecutor’s Office for review.