Officials cite road conditions as possible factor in two-vehicle fatal crash

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. -- Deputies were dispatched to the area of US Highway 12 and Franklin Road on Thursday morning to reports of a car vs. semi head-on collision, according to the Berrien County Sheriff's Office.

Upon arriving, EMS located a black Ford SUV pinned in a ditch underneath the cab of a semi tractor-trailer.

The driver of the Ford SUV was found dead inside their vehicle, although their name is being withheld until their next of kin is notified.

The driver of the semi was not injured.

Official investigations show that the SUV allegedly lost control while attempting to pass a separate vehicle and ran off of the roadway. Deputies say that the driver was able to gain control, pulled back onto the road, and was then hit head-on by the westbound semi.

Police say that the collision pushed the SUV backwards off of the roadway into a deep embankment, with the semi rolling onto its side on top of the SUV.

Emergency responders have determined that wet and slushy roads were likely factors in the crash, which remains under investigation.