Bridge Collapses on Major Michigan Freeway, One Dead, Lion’s QB Near Scene

Both directions of the Southfield Freeway were shut down today after a passenger bridge collapsed onto the roadway.  And reports one of Michigan's star athletes narrowly escaped injury.

The Detroit News is reporting today that it happened around 6 this morning between I-96 and Joy Road and that Detroit Lion's quarterback Matthew Stafford was traveling the roadway at the time of the crash..

Officials say the investigation is far from compete, but they say it appears an oversized truck may have caused that crash.

"We received a call...that some type of waste hauler had hit the (Cathedral Street) overpass with its boom up," said Department of Transportation spokeswoman Diane Cross.  "It struck the overpass and knocked out the entire structure."

The debris remains lying across the freeway in both directions.

Late breaking word now is that the driver of the truck died in the crash.  There was no one on the bridge or under it.

The article also indicates that Stafford was near the bridge at the time of the collapse. He was seen walking near the debris afterward just as police were arriving

The Lion's management has confirmed that Stafford was in a vehicle on the freeway on his way back to the team's practice facility in Allen Park at the time.  Police say he did not, though, witness the crash or suffering any injuries.

Join Jo Anne Paul weekdays for news updates on 99.1 WFMK-FM, 100.7 WITL-FM and 1240 WJIM-AM and the other stations of the Michigan Talk Network 

joanne.paul@townsquaremedia.com