Michigan: Deputy hit in I-94 pileup recuperating, expected to be OK

A Van Buren County sheriff's deputy who was hit while he was rendering first aid to victim in the deadly I-94 crash Sunday afternoon in Southwest Michigan is recuperating at home. Van Buren County Sheriff Dale Gribler said the deputy, Loren Tarner, has a large contusion on his left leg.

"Fortunately he did not sustain any broken bones or ligament damage," Gribler said. "Loren is home resting and should be back to work in a few days."

Tarner was one of 11 people who sustained minor injuries after a series of three crashes on I-94 near Hartford Sunday afternoon, including a 44-car pileup. Tarner was outside of his patrol car rendering first aid to someone who had broken a leg in the crash, when Tarner was struck by a vehicle.

The crashes started around 2 p.m. Sunday with a minor, nine-vehicle crash in the eastbound lanes of I-94 just west of Hartford, exit 46. A second crash a quarter-mile west of the first crash started by two semis colliding caused an additional 42 cars to pileup. A third crash occurred at the same time in the westbound lanes, where 12 vehicles crashed in the westbound lanes one mile east of Hartford.

Troopers have said drivers driving too fast for conditions and following too closely, combined with low visibility caused the crashes.

In all, one person died in the crash and three people suffered critical injuries. Michigan State Police at first said two people had died in the crashes, but paramedics were able to revive one patient on the way to the hospital, troopers said later. The highway was closed for six hours as authorities investigated.

Michigan State Police officials have said they will not provide updates on patient conditions or an identity of the person who died in the crash until Tuesday, since Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and a federal holiday.

"All of us in law enforcement that have interstate highways in their area ask motorists to please slow down and to drive defensively by maintaining plenty of space between themselves and the vehicle in front of them," Gribler said.

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