SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Funeral arrangements have been made for a Michigan State Police trooper who was hit and dragged by a car on Interstate 75 near Dixie Highway.
The department said 38-year-old trooper Chad Wolf was on his motorcycle when he was hit on north Dixie Highway by a car towing a trailer that was changing lanes to get on the ramp to northbound I-75.
Wolf was dragged for several miles under the trailer. The driver didn't stop until the next rest area, which was 4.3 miles down the highway.
"It appears that he was cut off by another vehicle. That's the individual that we're discussing with right now," said Lt. Michael Shaw. "The thing that's different about this particular crash is the size of the actual scene. We have to start from the very beginning to go through and find bits and pieces of evidence as we work our way through."
The northbound lanes of I-75 were closed for hours on Friday but have since reopened to traffic.
Wolf was being treated at Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc.
"We ask that you please keep trooper Wolf and his family in your thoughts and prayers," said Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, director of the MSP.
The involved driver is a 72-year-old Waterford man. MSP said he is cooperating with police.
Wolf enlisted with the MSP in 2008. He has served at the Jackson, Flint and Metro posts. He is survived by a wife and four children.
"This is a stark reminder that our troopers put their own safety at risk every single day to protect ours. Please join me in praying for him, his family, and the doctors and nurses in charge of his care," Gov. Rick Snyder posted on his Facebook page.
Upon learning of Wolf's death, Snyder released this statement Friday evening:
"My heart is broken for Trooper Wolf's family, his friends and his Michigan State Police colleagues. The troopers who serve us every day in the name of public safety are incredibly brave, selfless and honorable. This loss will be felt deeply by the entire state of Michigan. Trooper Wolf today laid down his life in service to others, and for that his family will never be the same. The First Lady and I extend our heartfelt condolences to them. Our thoughts and prayers also go out to everyone at the Michigan State Police who had the honor of working with Trooper Wolf, as well as those who knew him in the communities he served."
Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Fenton High School gymnasium. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery in Linden. Visitation will be held Sunday from 5 – 9 p.m., and Monday between 2 – 5 p.m. and 7 – 9 p.m. at Sharp Funeral Homes in Fenton.
A candlelight vigil is planned for Sunday night at Mr. B's Roadhouse in Clarkston. The Michigan Riders will meet there at 7 p.m. and ride to the rest area where the accident ended.
A GoFundMe account was created to help Wolf's family and can be found at http://www.gofundme.com/kk2xtxns.
-- Chad Wolf
Check: Local 4 traffic maps