OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. \u2013 A Pontiac couple and their two young children were killed Wednesday night when their disabled car was crashed into on the shoulder of southbound I-75 near Grange Hall Road, according to Michigan State Police.<\/p>\n
Relatives on Thursday (July 2) identified the victims as parents Tieree Powell and Zakaera Dawson, and their children, 4-year-old Malani Powell and 2-year-old Carter Powell.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is very devastating for my family as we just lost our mother recently,\u201d Tieree\u2019s brother, Devrionta Powell, said in a statement. \u201cMy brother and his kids and girlfriend were the most kind-hearted people I knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michigan State Police said the family\u2019s Chrysler 300 was heading south on I-75 around 9 p.m. when they pulled onto the shoulder to deal with a problem with the vehicle. <\/p>\n
Devrionta Powell said his brother had stopped to change a flat tire.<\/p>\n
While the car was on the side of the freeway, it was hit by a pickup truck. <\/p>\n
Video taken Thursday morning showed the Chrysler on a flatbed being towed away; it was hardly recognizable.<\/p>\n
The driver of the pickup was injured and taken to a hospital. <\/p>\n
MSP said the driver is in custody as the investigation continues.<\/p>\n
Local 4 reached out to MSP on Thursday afternoon for more information about the crash and the driver. <\/p>\n
Their public information officer responded, \u201cNo additional updates at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was quite a mess,\u201d said John Williams, fire chief of the Groveland Township Fire Department, whose crews responded to the scene.<\/p>\n
Williams said the crash happened on a stretch of I-75 where emergency responders have seen numerous serious crashes over the years.<\/p>\n