A Spencer Township man was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash last Friday, September 28.

According to the Kent County Sheriff Department, a motorist came across a crashed motorcycle lying in the roadway at Maston Lake Dr NE and Penelope Dr NE, in Spencer Township about 4:20 a.m. Spencer Township Fire and Rescue was first on the scene and found the rider off the roadway and unresponsive. 

Aeromed transported the man, identified as Raymond Hilliker, 39, of Spencer Township, to Butterworth Hospital, with life-threatening injuries.

Police said the preliminary investigation showed that the bike was traveling northeast on Maston Lake Drive and the rider failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway and crashed. There were no passengers on the bike, and the rider was not wearing a helmet. Speed and/or alcohol may be a factor, but the crash is still under investigation.

Two people were sent to the hospital Wednesday after a pickup truck and SUV collided on M-57 in front of Courtland Township Hall shortly before noon.

According to the Michigan State Police, a black pickup truck driven by an unnamed male was traveling eastbound on M-57 when he crossed the centerline and hit a Chevy Trailblazer head on.

Both the driver of the pickup truck, and the unnamed female driver of the SUV were sent to Butterworth Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Courtland Fire assisted at the scene.

No other information was available at press time.

Two women were sent to the hospital Saturday after the car they were riding in left the roadway and struck a tree. 

According to the Kent County Sheriff Department, the crash occurred on 10 Mile Rd, east of N. Division Ave., at about noon on Saturday, December 30. 

Police reported that Kathleen Busalacchi, 55, of Cannon Township, was driving her silver 2005 Nissan Xterra westbound on 10 Mile Rd when she lost control of her vehicle. It then left the roadway and struck a tree. 

Busalacchi suffered a possible broken ankle. The front seat passenger, Geraldine Kurzynski, 77, of Cannon Township, suffered serious injuries. They were both transported by Rockford Ambulance to Butterworth Hospital. 

Both parties were wearing seatbelts. Alcohol was not a factor.

Algoma Fire and Sparta Fire also assisted at the scene.

Crash at Indian Lakes and Algoma. The driver of the silver car was transported to Butterworth Hospital by Aeromed with severe injuries. Post photo by J. Reed.

By Judy Reed

A young woman suffered severe injuries Tuesday afternoon and was transported to Butterworth hospital by Aeromed after her car was t-boned by a pickup truck at Indian Lakes and Algoma Avenue.

The crash occurred about 3:20 p.m. on Tuesday, November 14.

Kyle Rand, of Rockford, told The Post at the scene that he was driving home from work southbound on Algoma when he witnessed the crash. He said the silver car was westbound on Indian Lakes and did a “rolling stop” at the stop sign—slowed but did not completely stop—before continuing into the intersection. “She must not have seen him, the white truck (traveling northbound),” said Rand. He added that the driver of the truck tried to avoid her.

The Dodge Ram truck t-boned the silver Ford Taurus, and the car rolled and landed on its hood on the NW side of the intersection.

Rand said that he and another man both witnessed the crash and tried to help.

“I saw it happen and I freaked out. I saw baby blankets in the back of the car so I searched the car [for a baby] but it was only her,” he explained, referring to the driver of the car.

The man driving the truck, Dennis Wayne Hathaway, 60, of Ensley Township, was checked out at the scene for chest and leg pain by Rockford Ambulance.

The woman driving the silver Ford Taurus was identified by the Kent County Sheriff Department as Olivia Erin Anderson, 21, of Alpine Township. She was extricated from the car by Algoma and Solon Fire Departments and transported by Aeromed to Butterworth Hospital with head trauma.

The scene was cleared at 5:43 p.m.

Patrick Brecken died in a crash on Northland Drive on Thursday, Nov. 9.
Photo from tribute at
pedersonfuneralhome.com.

Police believe that alcohol and poor road conditions contributed to a fatal crash last week on Northland Drive, north of 18 Mile Rd, in Nelson Township.

According to the Kent County Sheriff Department, Patrick Todd Brecken, 21, of Sand Lake, was headed south on Northland Drive, about 10 p.m. on Thursday, November 9, when his 1999 Ford Mustang left the roadway and rolled several times before landing in the ditch on the northbound side of the road. Brecken was ejected from the car and suffered fatal injuries.

The two teenage passengers in the vehicle, Jonathan Michael Brecken, 15, of Grand Haven, and Trey Brian Street, 17, of Cedar Springs, suffered minor injuries and were transported to Butterworth Hospital by Rockford Ambulance.

The Cedar Springs Fire Department assisted at the scene.

The family is planning to have a benefit to raise money to help with Patrick’s funeral costs on Saturday, November 18, 2017 from 1-5 p.m. at the Gun Tavern, located at 18 North Main Street, Cedar Springs. All proceeds will go to help with funeral expenses. The funeral for Patrick was scheduled for Thursday, November 16, at 11 a.m. at Pilgrim Bible Church.

A motorcyclist that ran into the back of a car on US-131 earlier this week did not survive his injuries.

The Michigan State Police responded to the crash, which occurred on Tuesday, September 12, shortly after 4 p.m. on the northbound side of the highway, in the construction zone, near Indian Lakes Rd.

A 53-year-old Ravenna man on a motorcycle reportedly struck a 2011 Subaru when the driver slowed for traffic. He was taken to Butterworth Hospital, where he later died of his injuries.

The driver of the Subaru, a 33-year-old Kent City woman, was not injured.

Algoma Fire and Rescue assisted at the scene.

Floyd “Floydie” Edward Chamberlain age 54 of Cedar Springs passed away Saturday, August 26, 2017 at the Meijer Heart Center-Butterworth Hospital. He was born January 23, 1963 in Norfolk, Virginia to Clare E. and Janice (Heckart) Chamberlain. Floydie was an avid outdoorsman, and enjoyed, hunting, fishing, golfing and spending time with his family and friends. He worked for over 25 years at Irwin Seating. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends. He was preceded in death by his father Clare and a sister Suzanne Casey. He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Angie; mother, Janice; son and daughter, Hunter and Ally; brothers, Bruce (Becky) Chamberlain and Jeff Guzman; sister, Pam Deshano; father & mother-in-law, Paul and Jauana Hoskins; brother-in-law, Dale Hoskins; aunt and uncle, Nan and Dick Heckart; several nieces, nephews and cousins. The family received friends Tuesday, August 29th at the Bliss-Witters & Pike Funeral Home, Cedar Springs. Visitation continued on Wednesday from 5-8 p.m. at the Rivertown Funeral Chapel in Kawkawlin where the funeral service will be held Thursday at 12 noon. Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association.

Arrangements by Bliss-Witters & Pike Funeral Home, Cedar Springs

Chris and Trisha Dart of Cedar Springs would like to announce the birth of their daughter Zola Lee Dart. Zola was born on June 28, 2017 at Butterworth Hospital at 11:37 p.m. She weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 19 inches long. She was welcomed home by her Big Sister Kora, Grandparents Lee and Chris Mullennix of Cedar Springs, Michigan, Ron and Carol Marr of Rodney, Michigan, Great-grandparents Phill Hallock of Cedar Springs, Michigan, Marilyn Nance of Cedar Springs, Michigan, Mary Korreck of Palm Bay, Florida, and Dave and Diane Pollock of Pratts, Virginia. She was also welcomed home by many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

An 18-year-old Caledonia woman was killed Sunday evening, June 11, when she was struck by a pickup truck in Montcalm County.

According to the Michigan State Police Lakeview Post, the crash occurred on June 11, 2017 at 8:54 p.m. on East Holland Lake Road east of Staines Road, in Sheridan.

Police said the woman was struck by a 2005 Ford F-250 pickup truck on East Holland Lake Rd.  The vehicle was driven by a 45 year old Douglas Weaver of Sheridan. The pedestrian was airlifted to Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids where she passed away due to her injuries. The name of the pedestrian is being withheld at the request of family members.

Alcohol, speed, and weather conditions are not believed to be a factor.

Troopers were assisted at the scene by the Sheridan Fire Department and Montcalm County EMS.

Gloria Launiere was found dead in her home Monday, after being stabbed by her son. Photo from her Facebook page.

The Kent County Sheriff Department responded to a home in Courtland Township Monday and found a woman dead and her son injured.

Police were dispatched to the 9200 block of 14 Mile Road, on Monday, March 20, about 2:24 p.m., after receiving a 9-1-1 call from a third party asking them to do a welfare check. When they arrived, they went inside and found Gloria Launiere, 59, deceased. Soon after they found her son, David Applegate, 34 seriously injured. Both had been stabbed.

Applegate was transported to Butterworth Hospital, where he later died of his injuries.

Police believe that Applegate killed his mother, then stabbed himself.

No other information is being released at this time.

In the early morning of Monday, January 23, 2017, Troopers from MSP-Lakeview were assisting the Ionia County Sheriff’s Department to locate a man who had been in a yard threatening to shoot himself with a rifle in the Belding area. The subject left the scene after police were contacted. However, the investigation led troopers to a possible address in Oakfield Township where they might find him.

After they arrived on scene, troopers saw a man in a vehicle matching the given description. The man got out of the vehicle and troopers attempted to establish communication with him. The man immediately placed a rifle to his head and fired one round. There were no shots fired by responding officers.

After securing the scene, troopers performed first aid until medics arrived on scene. The man was transported by ambulance to Butterworth Hospital with a critical injury. The man, who was identified as the man they were looking for from the previous incident, is not expected to survive.

As of Wednesday, January 25, the police had no new information to pass along on the shooting.

Investigation into the incident is ongoing. Assisting at the scene was MSP-Rockford, Ionia County Sheriff Department, Kent County Sheriff Department, and Rockford Ambulance.

One involved firefighter from out of county department

There were two crashes in Oakfield Township, in the early morning hours of Thursday, July 7, and the second crash involved a firefighter from an out of county department that had self-dispatched to the first scene.

According to the Michigan State Police and Oakfield Fire Department Chief Sam Peterson, the first crash occurred at 1:15 a.m. at 14 Mile and Wabasis. Jennifer Cribs, 22, of Aurora, Colorado, was northbound on Wabasis, when she failed to stop at the stop sign at 14 Mile and was struck by an eastbound pickup truck driven by Daniel Heath, 30, of Greenville.

The woman was flown to Butterworth Hospital by AeroMed with serious injuries, and the man was sent to the hospital by ambulance.

While both Oakfield and Spencer Township Fire worked on the first scene, another crash report came in at 2:30 a.m. and involved a firefighter west of the scene of the first accident, in front of the Halfway Restaurant.

Police said that Joshua Crandall, 35, of Greenville, was driving eastbound on 14 Mile, and hit an unattended firefighter’s vehicle that was blocking eastbound traffic on 14 Mile, in front of the Halfway Restaurant. Police said that Crandall suffered minor injuries, and that alcohol was involved.

However, according to Oakfield Chief Sam Peterson, when they and Spencer Township arrived on scene, they found that the firefighter was not one of theirs. “It was discovered that the firefighter was from an out of county department, and had self-dispatched to the scene, skirting the incident command system,” said Peterson. “He was in a spot where we would not have had a (road) closure, and he was not visible by our command staff or working staff. Both departments worked quickly, effectively, and safely to secure both scenes, and treat patients at both scenes until care could be turned over to advanced life support.”

“At Oakfield Township Fire Department we work to keep scenes safe and patients safe and it is important to be vigilant around emergency scenes,” continued Peterson. “It also is important to know that we have the training and experience to be able to do so in a controlled and safe manner, and self-dispatching is never safe, as well as goes against incident command protocols. Here at Oakfield Township Fire we work hard to keep our township safe and will continue to do so. We have a great team that is ready to serve and protect the community 24 hours a day, and we will not let this incident set us back as a department.”