Teen killed in head-on crash in Jackson County

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) -- A 16-year-old passenger died Thursday night following a multi-vehicle head-on collision on South US-127 Highway in Summit Township. Sheriff Gary Schuette reported that Jackson County deputies responded to the scene north of McDevitt Avenue at approximately 7:31 p.m. on Feb. 19, 2026. Preliminary investigation results indicate that drugs or alcohol were contributing factors in the crash. The incident involved a wrong-way driver and resulted in the closure of the highway for several hours while authorities conducted a scene reconstruction. The crash occurred when a sedan driven by a 36-year-old City of Jackson woman was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of South US-127 Highway. Her vehicle collided head-on with a pickup truck. A third vehicle was side-swiped immediately after the initial impact. The 16-year-old passenger in the sedan was pronounced dead at the scene. Jackson Community Ambulance transported the driver of the sedan and the driver of the pickup truck to Henry Ford Jackson with serious injuries. Occupants of the third vehicle involved in the crash were not seriously injured. Deputies from the Jackson County Office of the Sheriff were assisted at the scene by multiple emergency response agencies. These included the Summit Township Fire Department, the City of Jackson Fire Department and its drone unit, the Michigan State Police and Jackson Community Ambulance. The severity of the collision and an extensive debris field required both the northbound and southbound lanes of the highway to remain closed for several hours. This closure allowed officials to conduct a comprehensive scene reconstruction. The incident remains under active investigation by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office Accident Reconstruction Team. Undersheriff Anthony Stewart is the point of contact for further information or media inquiries at (517) 768-7904.