A 35-year-old Westland man was traveling on I-75 through Independence Township in a semi-truck hauling milk when he fell asleep at the wheel, left the roadway, struck an abandoned boat on the side of the road, and rolled the truck at 3:12 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11, Fire Chief Steve Ronk said.
The man was pinned for an hour and 45 minutes. After firefighters freed him, the man was airlifted to the University of Michigan.
Ronk said the man is doing well and looks like he will not have to have a leg amputated, which was a concern at the scene.
A positive aspect of the accident, Ronk said, is no one else on the road was injured.
“He didn’t hurt anyone else, but himself, which is quite a feat with a semi-truck,” Ronk said.
Northbound I-75 was closed until 6 p.m., when one lane was reopened. All lanes were opened at 7:30 p.m.