LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, MI – Police have identified two women who were killed in a crash involving a semi tractor-trailer on U.S. 127 Tuesday afternoon as 42-year-old Kristine Wittlinger of Manchester and 33-year-old Andrea Hicks of Jackson.

Wittlinger and Hicks were traveling northbound on U.S. 127 at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 9 in a Ford Focus waiting to turn left onto East Liberty Road when the crash occurred, according to a news release from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.

A semi is overturned at the scene of an accident on U.S. 127 near Liberty Road on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014. (Photo Courtesy of Phil Wagner)

The Ford Focus was rear-ended by a northbound semi hauling sand, the release said. The driver, a 58-year-old Holt man, rolled the semi as he attempted to avoid the Focus. The impact pushed the Focus into southbound traffic where it was struck by a 2009 Hyundai, according to the release.

Police said Wittlinger and Hicks were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the semi and the driver of the Hyundai, a 25-year-old Jackson woman, were transported to Allegiance Health with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

U.S. 127 was closed for nearly eight hours Tuesday as the Jackson County Sheriff's Office traffic crash reconstruction team investigating the incident and collecting evidence.

The road reopened at 11 p.m.

Michigan State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division assisted at the scene regarding the semi tractor-trailer.

Jackson County Department of Transportation, Columbia Township and Liberty Township fire departments also assisted at the scene.

The crash is still under investigation.

When the investigation is completed, police said the report will be forwarded to the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office to be reviewed for potential charges.

Theresa Ghiloni is a public safety reporter at the Jackson Citizen Patriot. Contact her at tghiloni@mlive.com. Follow her on Twitter.