Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Livingston County Sheriff's Office reports a passenger of a Super Duty truck was critically injured when ejected during a crash on eastbound I-96 in Brighton Township Friday morning.

The preliminary investigation indicates that a 28-year-old Wixom man was traveling east on I-96 at a high rate of speed in a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The Jeep hydroplaned and struck a woodchipper being towed by a 2015 Ford Super Duty Truck, operated by a 31-year-old Stockbridge man, with a 41-year-old passenger from Pontiac.

The impact caused the Ford to rotate and the passenger was ejected from the vehicle.

Neither of the drivers were injured, according to a release.

The Ford's passenger was transported to the U of M Hospital in Ann Arbor by Livingston County EMS in critical condition. The sheriff's office reports the unidentified man was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

Speed appears to be the contributing factor in the crash.

The roadway remained closed for four hours for the investigation and clean up.

Deputies were assisted at the scene by personnel from Brighton PD, Brighton Area Fire Department, MSP, MSP Motor Carrier, and Livingston County EMS.

This incident remains under investigation by the Livingston County Sheriff's Office Traffic Safety Bureau.