An Adrian man was booked late Monday in the Lucas County jail on five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide after he was involved in an I-280 crash that killed five members of a Maryland family including an 8-week-old girl.

Police said Michael Gagnon, 24, drove I-280 in the wrong direction for nearly four miles before his pickup truck collided Sunday night with a minivan carrying a family home after a holiday trip.

A mother and her four children were killed in the crash about 10:55 p.m. on Sunday near the Manhattan Boulevard overpass of I-280. Mr. Gagnon's pickup was traveling north in the southbound lanes of I-280 just south of I-75, police said.

Tests on Monday revealed that Mr. Gagnon's blood-alcohol level was 0.254 percent, more than three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent

Mr. Gagnon, a construction worker based in Adrian, suffered a jaw injury in the accident, but was released late Monday from St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center. He was taken to Toledo police station for processing and then booked in the Lucas County jail.

Arraignment is expected on Wednesday in Toledo Municipal Court..

Police identified the dead as Bethany Griffin, 36, Jordan Griffin, 10, Vadi Griffin, 8 weeks, all of Parkville, Md., near Balitmore; Lacie Burkman, 7, and Haley Burkman, 10, both of Redford Township, Mich., near Detroit.

Danny Griffin, Jr., 36, of Parkville, Md., the driver of the van, was in serious condition on Monday at St. Vincent, where his passengers, Sidney Griffin, 8, also of Parkville, was listed in critical condition, and Beu Burkman, 8, whose address was not available, was listed in serious condition, a hospital spokesman said.

Both drivers tried to avoid each other, but the crash ripped a side door off the minivan, throwing out some of the victims.

An infant seat wrapped with pink baby blankets landed in the roadway.

Police said Mr. Gagnon s speech was slurred, his eyes were glassy, and that he was agitated at the scene of the accident, according to a search warrant filed in Toledo Municipal Court. Police said he smelled of alcohol.

The warrant also indicated that Mr. Gagnon admitted to consuming intoxicants and that one or more liquor containers were found in the vehicle.

The search warrant was for the blood sample taken at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center.

Mr. Gagnon was driving a Ford F350 pickup truck on I-280, going the wrong way in the southbound lanes, when he struck a Chevrolet Astro minivan, carrying eight people in all, police said.

The minivan was driven by Mr. Griffin, who was taking his family home to Maryland after visiting family in Michigan for the holidays.

The drivers tried to swerve to avoid collision, but the heavier pickup sheared off the passenger side doors of the minivan, causing several minivan passengers to be thrown from the vehicle.

Remnants of Christmas wrapping were strewn about the scene, as were toys, stuffed animals, luggage, and baby effects, including a damaged infant seat surrounded by pink blankets.

Mr. Gagnon had been drinking in a bar in Oregon, left the bar, and then bought food at a Taco Bell. The restaurant notified police that an intoxicated driver was at their restaurant. By the time police arrived, Mr. Gagnon had driven the pickup onto I-280, officers said.

Christine Shallal, general manager at the Holiday Inn Express at 3154 Navarre Ave, said three rooms were registered to Mr. Gagnon and his family for Sunday night. She said the rooms had already been checked out of Monday morning.

(From earlier editions of The Blade and toledoblade.com).

By JANET ROMAKER

BLADE STAFF WRITER

Five members of a Maryland family, including a mother and four children, were killed last night when their minivan collided head-on with a pickup that reportedly was traveling the wrong way on I-280 in North Toledo, authorities said.

A Chevrolet Astro minivan, carrying eight people in all, and a Ford F350 pickup truck collided near the Manhattan Boulevard overpass just south of I-75 at about 11 p.m.

Toledo Deputy Fire Chief Luis Santiago confirmed the five deaths, including that of a 6-month-old who died after being taken to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center and four who died at the scene, which he described as one of the most tragic he had ever seen.

Chief Santiago also said police were responding to several reports of a wrong-way vehicle on the freeway when the crash occurred.

No identification was immediately available for any of the victims. The van had Maryland license plates while the pickup was registered in Michigan. All of the injured were transported to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center.

Toledo police Sgt. Tom Kosmyna said witnesses told police the pickup was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes. Its driver was among those transported and blood tests were to be performed to determine if alcohol or drugs were a factor, the sergeant said.

The pickup driver was reported to be alone in his vehicle.

The minivan s occupants were believed to be a family headed home after Christmas, although Chief Santiago said he was not certain of how all were related to each other. Remnants of Christmas wrapping were strewn about the scene, as were toys, stuffed animals, luggage, and baby effects, including a damaged infant seat surrounded by pink blankets.

The minivan s passenger side was peeled open in the crash, and both it and the pickup had heavy front-end damage.

Andy Strader, 26, of Wooster, Ohio, said he was entering southbound I-280 from I-75 when a bystander flagged him down to stop him from hitting an accident victim who had fallen onto the pavement. He stopped and entered the minivan, where he assisted a boy and an infant in a safety seat, but also found a girl buckled into her seat.

I almost became part of it, but I stopped in time, Mr. Strader said, adding that he saw the pickup s driver walking around and complaining about jaw pain.

The I-280 southbound lanes were closed at I-75 during rescue efforts and subsequent on-scene investigation. Authorities shooed away crowds of gawkers who gathered on nearby overpasses.

Contact Janet Romaker at: jromaker@theblade.com or 419-724-6006.

First Published December 31, 2007, 11:35 p.m.