Post photo by J. Reed.

Post photo by J. Reed.

By Judy Reed

An elderly Grand Rapids couple was injured Wednesday after their vehicle ran a stop sign and was hit by another vehicle at Edgerton and 14 Mile Road.

According to the Kent County Sheriff Department, they were called to the scene of the crash at 5:20 p.m. August 8. 

The investigation showed that a Ford Focus, driven by an 83-year-old Grand Rapids woman, was traveling northbound on Edgerton and failed to stop at the sign at 14 Mile Road. A Ford Taurus, occupied by a Cedar Springs couple, was traveling westbound on 14 Mile Rd, and hit the Focus in the passenger side.

Both the 83-year-old woman and her passenger, a 90-year-old male, were transported to Spectrum Butterworth Hospital by Rockford Ambulance with possible internal injuries.

The male driver of the Taurus complained of a wrist injury, and his wife complained of a possible ankle injury. They went to Spectrum United Hospital in Greenville by private transport to be checked out. 

Algoma Fire and Rescue assisted at the scene.

A Trufant man was injured earlier this week when his motorcycle crashed into the back of a car waiting to turn. Courtesy photo.

The Montcalm County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a car vs. motorcycle injury crash at approximately 10:52 a.m. on Monday, July 10, 2017 on Wise Road at Youngman Road, Montcalm Township.

According to Sheriff Michael Williams, the investigation revealed that a 2000 Ford Taurus was stopped facing west on Wise Road waiting for traffic to clear and to make a left turn onto Youngman Road. 

A 1999 Honda motorcycle, driven by Joseph Petersen, 24, of Trufant, was travelling west on Wise Road. He was not able to stop and struck the Ford from behind. Petersen was thrown from the motorcycle, and was transported to Spectrum with serious injuries.

The driver of the Ford Taurus, Lois Kinyon, age 56, from Greenville, was not injured. Anna Williams, age 88, from Greenville, was a passenger in the Ford and complained of pain, however sought her own treatment.

The occupants of the Ford were wearing their seatbelts. The driver of the Honda was wearing a helmet. There were no other known contributing factors in the crash.

The Montcalm County Emergency Medical Services and Michigan State Police assisted with the crash.

A Solon Township woman suffered serious injuries when she rolled her car early Sunday morning, November 29,  in Cannon Township.

According to Kent County Sheriff Deputy Chad Potts, the woman, identified as Tommi Danorder, 37, of Solon Township, was driving her 2000 Ford Taurus northbound on Wolverine Boulevard, south of 10 Mile, about 6:11 a.m., when she lost control and struck the median. Her vehicle rolled several times, before coming to rest on its roof in the southbound lanes of Wolverine.

She was taken to Butterworth Hospital with serious injuries.

There were no passengers in the vehicle.

Assisting at the scene was Rockford Fire, Rockford Ambulance, Rockford Police, and the Michigan State Police.

Police said she was a wearing seatbelt, but alcohol is believed to be a factor in the accident.

Kristy Lynn Beemer

A driver going too fast on a country road has been charged in an accident that killed two people and seriously injured two others.

Kristy Lynn Beemer, 28, of Sand Lake, is charged with a moving violation causing death, a one-year misdemeanor, for the accident that occurred at Cedar Springs Avenue and Egner, Wednesday evening, October 16.

A 2008 Ford Taurus was eastbound on Egner and stopped at the stop sign at Cedar Springs Avenue about 6:22 p.m. The driver attempted to turn north on Cedar Springs Avenue and collided with Beemer’s 2008 Saturn that was southbound.

The backseat passenger in the Taurus, Kathleen Fernn Bitely, 88, of Bailey was pronounced dead at the scene. The front seat passenger, Herbert Donald Smith, 92, from Twin Lakes, was transported to the hospital where he later died of his injuries.

Beemer was also charged with a moving violation causing serious injury to her front seat passenger, Michael McBride, 30 of Sand Lake, and his five-year-old daughter, who suffered two broken legs.

According to Kent County Undersheriff Jon Hess, a witness had said that Beemer was moving at a high rate of speed, and that a “black box” inside the car confirmed it. “There is something in the car, kind of like a black box in a plane, that will tell you how fast the car was going when the air bags deployed,” explained Hess. “It was considerably higher than 55.”

Beemer is free on $100 bond.