Local woman hurt in 1-car crash.

Date: 07/31/2012
Time: Afternoon
Location: Near Grand Haven, Michigan
Vehicle(s) Involved: Cadillac STS

By Becky Vargo - Grand Haven Tribune

"A Grand Haven Township woman suffered minor injuries when her car left the road and struck a tree late Tuesday afternoon.

Bonnie Thornell, 62, was driving her Cadillac west on Lincoln Street, west of 112^th Avenue in Robinson Township. Her car traveled across the eastbound lane, went down an embankment and into the tree, said Robinson Township Fire Chief Paul VanVelzen.

Thornell was wearing her seatbelt and the air bag deployed when the car crashed, VanVelzen said.

“She appeared to have minor injuries,” he noted. “She complained of chest pain. ... I thought it was going to be a lot worse."

Thornell was taken by ambulance to North Ottawa Community Hospital."

Source 

Minor injuries in rollover crash at N. West Ave. and Boardman Road.

Date: 06/22/2012
Time: Morning
Location: Blackman Township, Michigan
Vehicle(s) Involved: GMC Jimmy, Chevy G20

By Aaron Aupperlee | aaupperl@mlive.com 

"BLACKMAN TWP, MI — Drivers involved in a rollover crash this morning at N. West Avenue and Boardman Road went to Allegiance Health with minor injuries.

A full-size van crashed into a GMC Jimmy, flipping the SUV on its side. The driver of the Jimmy, an 85-year-old Jackson woman, was trapped inside the SUV, witnesses said.

Witnesses told responding Blackman-Leoni Township public safety officers that the Jimmy had been north on West Avenue and attempting to make a left turn onto Boardman Avenue. The light turned red and the Jimmy continued with the turn, public safety officer Tom Brower said.

The van was west on Andrew Avenue heading through the intersection to Boardman when it crashed into the Jimmy. The crash happened around 11:30 a.m. Officers had the crash clear just after noon.

Brower said the driver of the Jimmy was found at fault in the crash. He was heading to Allegiance to interview both drivers.

Bonnie Pond, of Brooklyn saw the crash. She was waiting at the Boardman and West intersection waiting to turn onto west.

"I'm glad my light was red," Pond said.

Pond said when the pulled into the Shell station at the intersection, employees from the gas station were inside the SUV talking with the driver. Christopher Klavon heard the crash as he pulled into the gas station. He called 911 and was told several people had already reported it." 

Source 

Grand Haven man dead, daughter injured after being hit by alleged drunken driver.

Date: 06/16/2012
Time: Around 4:20 P.M.
Location: Sullivan Township, Michigan
Vehicle(s) Involved: Ford Focus, Chevy C10

By Ryan Jeltema | rjeltema@mlive.com 

"SULLIVAN TOWNSHIP, MI – A Grand Haven man is dead and his young daughter was injured after their vehicle was hit head-on by an alleged drunken driver.

(Censored), 37, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on Heights-Ravenna Road near Ensley Road in Sullivan Township. His daughter was treated for nonlife-threatening injuries at Mercy Health Partners’ Hackley Hospital.
Shumaker was driving a Ford Focus west on Heights-Ravenna around 4:20 p.m. Saturday when an eastbound 1986 Chevrolet pickup truck attempted to pass another vehicle heading east, Muskegon County Sheriff’s Department. The pickup truck driver lost control in wet, rainy conditions and slammed head-on into the Ford.
The truck’s driver was treated and released at Hackley Hospital, then lodged in the Muskegon County Jail on charges of drunken driving resulting in death. His name is not being released pending arraignment on the drunken driving charges.
A Muskegon County sheriff's deputy was injured in a separate accident near Heights-Ravenna and Maple Island roads while responding to the head-on collision. Muskegon County Sheriff Dean Roesler said the deputy's vehicle went off the road and crashed into a ditch.
The deputy suffered nonlife-threatening back injuries, according to radio traffic from Muskegon County Central Dispatch. His name was not released on Saturday.
The sheriff’s department and Michigan State Police continue to investigate both accidents."

Source

Traffic still moving slowly on M-6 at East Paris Avenue after crash.

Date: 05/16/2012
Time: Around 7:10 A.M.
Location: Gaines Township, Michigan
Vehicle(s) Involved: Semi truck, Chevy Trailblazer

By John Tunison | jtunison@mlive.com

"GAINES TOWNSHIP, MI -- Traffic is still moving slowly on M-6 this morning after an SUV hit the back of a semi-truck in the westbound lanes near East Paris Avenue.
Kent County sheriff's deputies are at the scene investigating after the 7:10 a.m. crash.
The driver of the SUV was taken by helicopter to a Grand Rapids hospital for treatment.
Rescuers at the scene this morning said the person was semi-conscious, but pinned in the vehicle."

Source 

Three injured in Monday morning crash near Michigan's Adventure Amusement Park.

Date: 08/08/2011
Time: Around 11:00 A.M.
Location: Dalton Township, Michigan
Vehicle(s) Involved: Chevy Cobalt, Dodge Dakota

Jerry W. Morlock | Muskegon Chronicle 
 The Muskegon Chronicle
"A crash at the intersection of Russell and Riley-Thompson roads in Muskegon County's Dalton Township shortly after 11 a.m. Monday sent three people to Mercy General Health Partners' Hackley Campus, police said.

The extent of the three crash victims' injuries was not immediately available.

Muskegon County Sheriff Dean Roesler said the crash occurred when a young Detroit-area man driving a Chevy Impala north on Russell turned left on Riley-Thompson, into the path of a southbound Dodge Dakota pickup truck driven by a Muskegon-area woman.

The Muskegon-area woman was alone in her vehicle. The Detroit-area man had a young female passenger, also from the Detroit area, in the vehicle with him. All three were transported to the hospital, Roesler said.

The crash tied up traffic — presumably much of it headed for Michigan's Adventure Amusement Park, which is two miles west of the accident scene. The amusement park opens at 11 a.m.

Police blocked off traffic headed north on Russell. Vehicles exiting U.S. 31 and headed north were diverted to another route.

The intersection of Russell and Riley-Thompson is marked with a full stoplight.

Roesler said authorities this morning were trying to locate witnesses to the accident. They thought that someone, possibly a doctor or nurse, had stopped to check on the crash victims, then left as emergency medical personnel arrived. Roesler said authorities would like to talk to that person, or any other people who may have seen the crash.

Anyone with information is asked to call Deputy Kendall Jeppesen at 724-7114."

Source

27-year-old Grand Rapids man dies in snowy Cascade Road crash.

Date: 01/13/2012
Time: Around 03:25 P.M.
Location: Grand Rapids Township, Michigan
Vehicle(s) Involved: Honda Element

By Maria Amante | The Grand Rapids Press The Grand Rapids Press

"GRAND RAPIDS TOWNSHIP - A Grand Rapids man was pronounced dead after his vehicle crashed into a tree Friday afternoon.

Around 3:25 p.m. (Censored), 27, was driving eastbound on Cascade Road SE, west of Cascade West Parkway, when he traveled off the snowy roadway and struck a tree.

Bedinger was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at Spectrum Butterworth.

He was wearing a seat belt, and alcohol was not a factor, the Kent County Sheriff's Department said.

Witnesses estimate the man's Honda Element was traveling eastbound about 45 to 50 mph when it crossed into the westbound lanes. It went off the road and hit a tree by the Cascade Country Club golf course."

Source

Grand Blanc fatal car crash Thursday morning.

Date: 12/22/2011
Time: Around 10:00 A.M.
Location: Grand Blanc, Michigan
Vehicle(s) Involved: Chevy Malibu, Pontiac G6 Convertible

By Sean Ryan | The Flint Journal

"Grand Blanc Fire fighters and police respond to a crash that left one man dead and two others injured after a head-on crash between two vehicles around 10 a.m. today on Perry Road near Belsay Road, police said. Police said the man was driving a Chevy Malibu eastbound on Perry when he collided with another vehicle going westbound. It is unclear what caused the accident, police say. The other two victims were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Perry Road is shut down while police investigate the incident"

Source

Police identify Wyoming woman critically injured in Grand Rapids crash.

Date: 09/12/2011
Time: Around 3:30 A.M.
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Vehicle(s) Involved: Chevy Malibu

By John Agar | The Grand Rapids Press  

"GRAND RAPIDS – Police identified Maria Salgado, 21, of Wyoming, as the driver who was critically injured this morning when her vehicle struck the building of Boston Square Lock and Key.
She was driving south on Kalamazoo Avenue SE around 3:30 a.m. when she lost control of her Chevrolet Malibu near Boston Street. The car struck a concrete sign base, utility guide wire and the building.
Police said that speed and alcohol appear to be factors. Anyone with information is asked to call Officer Bill Keiser at 456-4282 or Silent Observer at 774-2345."

Source


The Grand Rapids Press

Car catches on fire with man below it outside West Side Bar in Grand Rapids.

Date: 08/26/2011
Time: Around 4 P.M.
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Vehicle(s) Involved: Plymouth Voyager

By Ursula Zerilli | The Grand Rapids Press  

"GRAND RAPIDS – What seemed like a good investment almost cost a Grand Rapids man his life. Less than an hour after buying an old car, it went up in flames with him underneath it around 4 p.m. on Friday.
Joe Bowen, 46, purchased a $400 Plymouth Voyager mini-van on Turner Street on Friday with hopes of fixing and reselling it.
About 15 minutes after he bought the van, he said it began to stall.
He pulled into the parking lot of the closed West Side Bar on the corner of Broadway Avenue NW and Richmond Street NW and parked inches away from the building so he could look at the car in the shade.
“I noticed gas leaking so I grabbed near the fuel tank while it was running and it must have sparked it,” said Bowen. “I rolled out from underneath it when it went on fire. I'm all singed.”
Less than an hour later, the car was burnt to its frame. The outside wall of the bar next to the van was damaged but firefighters were able to smother the fire before it could grow inside the building.
No one was inside of the West Side Bar because it closed in January. Despite it being closed, owner Randy Tann said there has been a lot of commotion there anyway.
On Thursday, it had been the site of a burglary for the third time in 14 years. There wasn't much to steal but the burglars damaged the windows.
“It must have been a coincidence or something and (Bowen) is being very open about fixing the damage,” said Tann, 61. “He's a West Sider and West Siders are usually open and honest about things.”
Tann and his wife, Chris, have been trying to sell the bar since it closed.
Grand Rapids Fire Lt. Joe Donohoe said his crew on Engine No. 3 cleared the fire within five minutes and declared an undetermined mechanical error the cause.
No one was injured in the incident."

Source



The Grand Rapids Press