Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

A Howell man is hospitalized in critical condition after driving into a fallen tree on Jewell Road in Marion Township Tuesday night.

According to the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, deputies were dispatched around 10:52 pm to a single vehicle injury crash on Jewell near Sharma Lane.

The preliminary investigation indicates that the 23-year-old driver was traveling east on Jewell Road when he struck a tree that had fallen across the roadway. The driver lost control of his vehicle and left the roadway striking a guard rail.

The vehicle continued eastbound striking mailboxes and trash containers until it struck a tree head-on.

The man was entrapped in the vehicle and had to be extricated by Fire personnel. He was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash.

The unidentified man was transported to the U of M in Ann Arbor by Livingston County EMS in critical condition.

Speed and alcohol appear to be the contributing factors in the crash. The roadway remained closed for three hours for the investigation and clean up.

Deputies were assisted at the scene by personnel from Howell Area Fire Department and Livingston County EMS.

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