Police investigate a fatal accident in Ypsilanti Township Wednesday morning. One man died when the box truck he was driving hit a tree.
Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com
A 38-year-old Ypsilanti Township man died after crashing into a tree while driving a box truck southbound on Whittaker Road in Ypsilanti Township around 7:15 a.m. Wednesday morning, police said.
The one-vehicle fatal crash occurred on Whittaker Road near Sea Mist Drive, said Sgt. Geoff Fox of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office.
Fox said Whittaker between Merritt and Martz roads was expected to be closed for one or two hours due to the investigation.
Police said the man was pronounced dead on the scene after crossing the centerline and crashing into a tree.
“There are no tire marks, so he didn’t slam on the brakes,” said Derrick Jackson, spokesman for the sheriff's office.
The speed limit in the area is 45 mph, Jackson said. Police were continuing to interview witnesses and investigate the accident Wednesday morning. The victim's name will be released as soon as the next of kin is notified, Jackson said.
The tree the box truck hit is directly next to a tree involved in a fatal crash a few years ago, Jackson said.
Sixteen-year-old Caitlyn Varney and her cousin, 24-year-old Jessica Varney died in that accident on April 27, 2009.
More recently, a head-on collision resulted in the death of a 19-year-old Whittaker man in that same area on Sept. 22, 2012.
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.