An MSU student died in a car accident on Monday, MSU spokesman Jason Cody said.
Neuroscience freshman Mitchel Kiefer was driving back to MSU when he was involved in a crash on I-96, according his family.
MSU student dies in car accident on I-96
The crash, which was initially reported by the Lansing State Journal, happened at 8 a.m.
Kiefer's car was rear-ended, which caused him to cross the median and collide into a truck hauling an empty horse trailer headed the opposite direction, according to the Ingham County Sheriff's Office. Authorities closed eastbound lanes of I-96 for six hours proceeding the crash, reopening the freeway at approximately 1 p.m, the Lansing State Journal reported.
Kiefer, 18, was a Northville, Mich. native.
A tribute was posted by his former high school hockey team.
“He graduated in 2016, so just a few months ago," Detroit Catholic Central Father John Huber said. "Our hockey team as a whole showed up to mass this morning—we have an optional mass every morning—at 7:20 in the morning and all of them chose to come today and sat and spoke with one another and needed to talk things out.”
Huber said he will be in East Lansing later on Tuesday to meet with other former Catholic Central students to talk about Kiefer. Tuesday's meeting with students was planned before the accident. Huber said the meeting will just have a different tone than originally planned.
"It's going to be a different type of meeting now," Huber said. "Our guys are in mourning. They're upset that they lost one of their friends. So we'll be spending some time with them tonight."
The meeting with Detroit Catholic Central students will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Dublin Square.
"The thoughts and prayers of the MSU community are with Kiefer's family and friends," Cody said in a statement. "MSU's Office of Student Affairs and Services is reaching out to the family to provide support."
Friends expressed their sympathies to his family on Facebook and Twitter.
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My heart goes out to the Kiefer family I didn't know Mitchel personally but our dads are best buds. Just makes u realize how scary life is
— Tessa Talan (@TessaTalan) September 20, 2016
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To the sweetest and nicest guy ever. You are a legend my friend rest easy RIP Mitchel Kiefer
— Morgan Jones (@morgjones_) September 20, 2016
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Another CC brother lost. RIP Mitchel Kiefer.
— Ryan Davis (@rparkdavis) September 19, 2016
