Flint driver killed in I-69 rollover crash in Attica Township
ATTICA TWP. — A 34-year-old Flint man was killed Tuesday, Oct. 27, after his 1998 Ford tractor-trailer loaded with massive boulders overturned on eastbound I-69, scattering debris across both directions of travel and forcing a five-hour highway closure.
The Lapeer County Sheriff’s Office identified the driver as Tyller Zeller, 34, of Flint, who was pronounced dead at the scene. He was hauling a 28-foot East Rock box trailer loaded with large boulders from a job site in the city of Lapeer to Columbus, Michigan.
According to Lapeer County Sheriff’s Detective Jason Parks, the crash occurred at 9:46 a.m. on eastbound I-69 just east of the Lake Pleasant Road exit and west of M-53 (Van Dyke Road). Authorities said Zeller was traveling in the right eastbound lane when the vehicle suddenly crossed the left lane, veered off the road and rolled over into the center median.
The impact crushed the truck’s cab, mangled the trailer and dislodged its cargo of heavy boulders across both the eastbound and westbound lanes. One boulder rolled as far as an exit ramp before coming to a stop, authorities said. Despite the heavy debris field, no other motorists reported injuries or vehicle damage.
Deputies arrived within three minutes to find the engine still running and the rig actively leaking diesel fuel. Firefighters from the Attica Township Fire Department and Imlay City Fire and Rescue responded to contain the spill and extricate Zeller from the wreckage.
A substantial multi-agency response descended on the scene, including the Attica Township and Imlay City fire departments, Imlay City Police Department, Lapeer County EMS, the Lapeer County Sheriff’s Office, its Reconstruction and Drone teams, MDOT, the Lapeer County Road Commission, and towing services including Paul’s Towing, Yake’s Towing, Gray’s Towing, and Assured Emergency Services.
Traffic in both directions was diverted onto the Lake Pleasant Road exit ramps and back onto the expressway past the crash scene until I-69 fully reopened at 3 p.m. Road crews deployed heavy-duty equipment, including a road grader and a front-end loader from the Lapeer County Road Commission, to clear the large boulders from the roadway.
Det. Parks noted that preliminary investigation suggests the crash was caused by driver error or cargo weight transfer, with mechanical failure ruled out. An autopsy completed by Friday, Oct. 30, revealed no medical issues or intoxicants were involved.
