A 20-year-old University of Michigan student died Thursday when a tire from a trailer flew into the windshield of the vehicle he was driving on U.S. 23, state police said Friday.

The student has been identified as Wooram Choi, who is listed in the university's directory as an undergraduate in business administration.

Choi was headed southbound on U.S. 23 between Joy and Warren roads in Northfield Township around 4 p.m. when a tire from the trailer of a vehicle headed in the opposite direction came off, flew across the median and struck Choi's windshield, according to Michigan State Police Trooper Beth McLaughlin.

The truck and trailer were hauling a snowmobile, McLaughlin added.

Choi was pronounced dead at the scene from severe facial and head injuries, police said.

The incident affected traffic in the area for several hours.

John Counts covers crime for The Ann Arbor News. He can be reached at johncounts@mlive.com or you can follow him on Twitter. Find all Washtenaw County crime stories here.