Semi Truck Drives Off 131 Overpass

During an early morning commute, a semi truck drove off of the 131 overpass. The accident resulted in a fatality of the driver.

The truck fell of the highway at the ramp located at US-131 SB to I-196 WB in downtown Grand Rapids.

The initial investigation shows the driver was going to fast, lost control and the truck tipped over the barrier. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene by MSP.

MDOT states they will be investigating the damage to the bridge.

The ramp from southbound US-131 to westbound I-196 and Turner Avenue were closed as authorities investigated and worked to clear the scene. The ramp was closed for about 4 hours during morning drive traffic. The area re-opened around 8:30am.

Michigan State Police shut down the area and asked commuters to find an alternative route. The name of the driver has not been released yet.

The intersection is notorious for crashes. There was fatal accident in a similar location just one month ago. The traffic is problematic with a one lane squeeze going southbound from Pearl to the S curve and there's a one lane squeeze northbound from Franklin to the S curve.