UPDATE 5 p.m.
According to the Benzie County Sheriff’s Office, two of the people killed in the crash were Benzie Schools students.
We will bring you more details as we learn more about this tragic crash.
MANISTEE COUNTY — On Oct. 11 at 11:17 p.m., troopers from the Michigan State Police Cadillac Post along with deputies from the Manistee County Sheriff’s Office were sent to a fatal traffic crash. The incident occurred on Read Road between Yates and Thompsonville Road in Cleon Township, Manistee County.
Troopers and first responders arrived on scene and found that a pickup truck traveling east on Read Road left the roadway and collided with a tree, they said.
The vehicle then caught fire with three occupants still in the vehicle, and all three of them died, troopers said.
Two additional occupants were able to escape the vehicle and were taken to the hospital with serious injuries, officials said.
Speed and alcohol are believed to be contributing factors in the crash, troopers said.
The incident remains under investigation.