BERRIEN COUNTY, MI — A driver was killed when the tractor-trailer he was driving crashed along Interstate 94 and burst into flames, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office reports.

The crash happened at 8:55 a.m. Friday, Oct. 11, on westbound I-94 at the 1 mile marker in New Buffalo Township, near the Indiana-Michigan border.

Dispatch received 911 calls of a traffic crash involving a tractor-trailer, and arriving first responders found the truck engulfed in flames. They were unable to get to the driver, police said.

Investigators learned through witness interviews that the truck had struck a guardrail before running off the road, striking a tree and bursting into flames. It is unknown at this time if the driver suffered some type of mechanical issue or possibly a medical emergency causing him to run off the road, police said.

The driver was found dead inside the truck and was transported to WMU Homer Stryker School of Medicine in Kalamazoo where an autopsy will be conducted to confirm identity and cause of death, police said.

The truck is registered to Nationwide Truck Brokers of Byron Center, Michigan, and was hauling clothing for Meijer to Wisconsin. The crash is being investigated by the Berrien County Sheriff’s accident investigation unit. The driver’s name and hometown are being withheld until next of kin can be notified.

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office road patrol responded, as well as Pokagon Tribal Police, New Buffalo City Police, New Buffalo Township police and Chikaming Township Fire, and Medic 1 Ambulance.