Toddler in a car seat the only survivor of I-94 crash that kills four adults

A one-year-old child who was buckled into a car safety seat was the only survivor of a freeway crash in Harper Woods early Monday morning that killed four young adults also traveling in the SUV, police said.

The 2006 Buick SUV was speeding past other vehicles in the left eastbound lane of Interstate-94 about 1 a.m. Monday when the 20-year-driver, Doreal Rodgers, lost control, skidded across three lanes and hit the 8 Mile Road overpass, Michigan State Police said in a statement.

Rodgers, front-seat passenger, Alesia Maddox, and rear seat passengers Armonie Maddox and Ervin Johnson were not wearing seatbelts and died instantly, police said.

The two back seat passengers were ejected from the car, while the two front seat passengers were crushed in the vehicle, with firefighters having to cut them out of the car.

The only survivor was a toddler who had been strapped into a car seat in the back — the son of Alesia Maddox — who had turned one on Saturday. The child was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries. He was put in the care of family members.

Rodgers, Alesia Maddox, 20, and Armonie Maddox, 18, were from Detroit. Johnson, 18, lived in nearby Eastpointe.

“The baby was in the car seat,” witness John Wade told WXYZ-TV. “That was the only thing that probably … saved the baby.”

The eastbound lanes were closed for several hours on Monday morning following the crash.

State Police planned to get a search warrant to look into the car's "black box" for information on speed and how the driver was braking.

State Police's public information officer, Lt. Michael Shaw, said at a press conference Monday the department will give the family a few days to grieve before getting in touch to find out more details. As of now, police are unsure of where the car was going.

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