Howard City Police said that a semi truck driver pulled out in front of an oncoming car Monday, causing an accident.

According to Howard City Police Chief Steve DeWitt, the accident occurred about 7:30 a.m. Monday, December 2, on M-46 near Edgar Rd., in front of the M-46 Truck Stop. The police investigation showed that a 2014 Freight liner semi truck and trailer driven by a 51-year-old Levering, Michigan man pulled out of the truck stop and was attempting to turn westbound onto M-46 and turned into the path of an eastbound Buick Regal driven by a 44-year-old Morley man.

The Buick reportedly struck the rear axle of the semi trailer causing the dual axles of the trailer to be ripped off and the trailer dropped to the ground.
The Buick suffered severe frontend damage and its driver had to be extricated from the vehicle. He was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The driver of the semi truck was cited for fail to yield the right of way.

M-46 was shut down to traffic for nearly three hours.

Howard City Police was assisted at the scene by the Montcalm Co. Sheriff Department, the Michigan State Police Commercial Motor Carrier division, Montcalm County EMS, and the Howard City Fire Department.

Bridget Brinkmeier, 24 of Courtland Township

A Cedar Springs woman died Saturday evening, when the truck that she and her fiancee’ were riding in left the roadway and rolled in Algoma Township.

According to the Kent County Sheriff Department, Bridget Brinkmeier, 24 of Courtland Township, was a passenger in a 2013 Chevy Silverado driven by Nicholas McIntyre, 24, also of Courtland Township. The car was traveling northbound on Northland Drive, just north of Russell Road, about 11:43 p.m. Saturday, November 24, when the driver lost control and the car ran off the west side of the roadway and rolled over.

Nicholas was transported to Spectrum Butterworth Hospital with minor injuries. Bridget was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to a family member, they both graduated from Rockford High School in 2004. They started dating in their sophomore year, and were planning to be married in March. She said they had been to the Food, Beer, and Wine Festival in Grand Rapids, and were less than a mile from home when the accident occurred. The family member said Bridget was sleeping in the back seat, and that Nicholas also fell asleep. She noted that his blood alcohol was below the legal limit.

Nicholas was originally booked into the Kent County Jail on a charge of OWI Causing death, but that charge was dismissed.

Police said the accident is still under investigation, and will be forwarded to the Kent County Prosecutor’s office for review.

The Algoma Fire Department, Rockford Police, and Rockford Ambulance assisted at the scene.

Bridget is the daughter of Bill and Jennifer Brinkmeier of Rockford. Funeral services are today, Wednesday, November 27, at 11 a.m., at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, in Belmont.

A semi truck blowing its horn reportedly distracted another driver and caused him to crash into an oncoming car last Saturday.

According to Kent County Sheriff Department, the accident occurred at the intersection of 17 Mile and Algoma last Saturday, November 9, just before 10 a.m. Police said that a 2010 Ford Fusion driven by Andrew Paul Dawson, 26, of Cedar Springs, was westbound on 17 Mile and stopped at the stop sign at Algoma, then turned north on Algoma. It was then that he was distracted by a semi truck blowing its horn at another driver, and took the turn too wide, causing him to cross into the southbound lane and strike an oncoming car. Both the Fusion and the car it hit, a 2006 Ford Freestyle, ended up in the southbound lane on Algoma.

Dawson was not injured in the crash. The driver of the Freestyle, Tracy Lynn Cooper, 44, of Tyrone Township, complained of neck, head and back pain and was transported to Spectrum Butterworth Hospital. Her front seat passenger, Betty Cooper, 83, also of Tyrone Township, had difficulty breathing, and while en route to the hospital, it was determined she had internal injuries. Another passenger in the car, John Cooper, 83, of Tyrone, was not injured.

Alcohol was not a factor in the accident, and it is still under investigation.

Solon Township Fire and Rescue and Rockford Ambulance assisted at the scene.

UPDATED October 25 with corrections regarding motorcyclist’s injuries:

A motorcyclist suffered severe injuries after a car collided with him Saturday afternoon, October 19.

According to Sgt. Ben Cammenga, of the Kent County Sheriff’s Department, Michael Streeter, 55, of Sparta, was traveling southbound on White Creek Avenue, south of 17 Mile, when a northbound vehicle tried to turn left into Big Boy, and turned in front of the motorcycle, causing them to collide.

AeroMed was put on standby, but later cancelled. A call from the family confirmed that Streeter suffered a broken back, broken ribs, and a collapsed lung. He was in intensive care until Friday, October 25, and will move to Mary Free Bed for rehabilitation when he is better.

The driver of the vehicle, Jeffrey VanderKlipp, 48, of Rockford, was not injured.

An accident in Solon Township Sunday night sent two people to the hospital, one with possible life threatening injuries.

According to the Kent County Sheriff Department, Chad Wehler, 22, of Howard City, was driving a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix eastbound on 18 Mile about 10 p.m., when he pulled out in front of another car traveling southbound on Algoma.  The other car, a 2001 GMC Yukon, driven by Kylie Burns, 24, of Howard City, struck Wehler’s vehicle in the driver’s side door. Wehler had to be extricated from the vehicle and was transported to Butterworth Hospital by AeroMed with possible life threatening injuries. Burns was transported to the hospital by Rockford Ambulance.

Both drivers were wearing seatbelts. Police believe alcohol was a factor in the accident.

Cedar Springs Police and Cedar Springs Fire and Rescue responded to a two car accident at 17 Mile and White Creek  Ave about 6:13 p.m. Sunday, August 11 that involved seven people.

According to police, Kerry Jean Eggebeen, 29, of Cedar Springs, was heading eastbound on 17 Mile in a Dodge Van, when she attempted a left turn on to northbound White Creek and struck a westbound Honda Civic. The Civic was driven by Elizabeth Marie Cutler, 34, of Sand Lake.

Both drivers noted that the traffic light was green. Eggebeen was cited for failure to yield right of way at an intersection.

The Dodge Van was carrying three passengers, and the Honda Civic was carrying two passengers. One passenger was treated at the scene but no one was transported to the hospital.

A Cedar Springs man was hospitalized Sunday after the motorcycle he was driving was struck by a car.

According to the Montcalm County Sheriff Department, the accident occurred about 4:40 p.m. Sunday, August 11, in Eureka Township. Denny Walter, 32, was heading southbound on S. Greenville Road, when a 2011 GMC driven by Karen Burkholder, 58, of Gowen, pulled out of the Petersen Oil parking lot to head north on S. Greenville Road. Police said that Burkholder did not see Walter, and pulled out into the roadway and struck the motorcycle. Walter sustained multiple injuries and was taken by Montcalm County Ambulance Service to Spectrum Hospital in Grand Rapids with non-life threatening injuries. He was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

The road was closed for about 45 minutes. The Greenville Department of Public Safety assisted at the scene. The accident remains under investigation.

UPDATE June 13: The driver of the westbound Chevy Malibu, Coleen Mary Stoudt, 59, of Carson City, died of her injuries, on Wednesday, June 12.

ORIGINAL:

A pickup truck rear-ended another vehicle on M-57, in Oakfield Township, Tuesday afternoon causing an accident that included four cars and sent four people to the hospital.

The accident occurred about 4:30 p.m. on M-57, just east of Podunk. Several cars were reportedly stopped behind a car in the eastbound lane that was waiting to turn left into a daycare, when a maroon Ford F-250 slammed into the rear-end of a white Chevy Silverado that was stopped. The impact sent the Silverado into the Buick Century in front of it, and then into the westbound lane, where it hit a Chevy Malibu head on and down the driver’s side.

According to a witness, Oakfield Fire and Rescue had to remove the door to get the female driver out, who was sent to the hospital with severe injuries. She was unresponsive when pulled from the car.

At least three other victims were also sent to the hospital. No information was available at press time on the identities of the victims or the extent of their injuries.

Photo from wood-tv.com

Lorenzo Martinez

A Pierson man has been charged with negligent homicide in the auto accident death of his mother, also from Pierson.

According to D/Lt. Jim Christiansen, of the Muskegon County Sheriff’s Office, the accident occurred just after noon on Friday, April 6. Alicia Keech, 45, was driving westbound in the 9600 block of Apple Avenue (near the county waste facility), when her son, Lorenzo Martinez, 20, who was the front seat passenger, jerked the steering wheel, causing Keech’s SUV to cross the centerline and hit an eastbound semi.

Keech was killed instantly.

Photo from wood-tv.com

Lorenzo Martinez suffered a head injury and was taken to the hospital. Two backseat passengers, Martin Martinez, 26, of Cedar Springs, and Jamie Kinsley, 30, also of Cedar Springs, also suffered injuries. All were wearing seatbelts. The semi truck driver was not injured.

Lorenzo Martinez was arrested and charged with negligent homicide when he was released from the hospital on Friday. According to police, he has had a history of mental health issues, and is currently being evaluated.

Alicia Keech

Keech was an employee at Wesco in Cedar Springs. She was born in Muskegon, and graduated from Reeths-Puffer High School. Family and friends met at Bliss Witters & Pike Funeral Home in Cedar Springs Wednesday. No funeral service is scheduled.

Three women were injured in Spencer Township last weekend when the ORV they were riding on flipped over.

According to the Kent County Sheriff Department, the accident occurred just after 4:30 p.m., on Saturday, April 6. The women were riding on a 2012 Kawasaki side by side in a field behind a residence at 13800 Winter Valley Dr NE, when the driver attempted to turn but was traveling too fast, which caused the ORV to tip onto its side and eject all three occupants.

When the ORV tipped, it landed on the driver, and Aero Med was called to the scene. The driver, Angela Cassel-Flacks, 51, of Las Vegas, Nevada, suffered head and pelvic injuries, and was airlifted to Butterworth Hospital.

The other two passengers received injuries from being ejected. Injured was Brittany Dingler, 21, of Fenton, Michigan, who suffered head and leg injuries; and Jessica Cates, 24, of Utica, Michigan, who suffered a head injury. Both were transported to Butterworth by Rockford Ambulance.

Police said the ORV was meant for only two passengers, and the third passenger was riding in the cargo box, which had no seat restraints. None of the women were wearing seatbelts or helmets, and the ORV does have a roll cage.

Both Spencer Fire and Rescue and Oakfield Fire and Rescue assisted at the scene.

A Cedar Springs School bus was hit by a pickup truck driver Wednesday afternoon. No students were hurt in the accident. Post photo by J. Reed.

Seven students escaped injury this afternoon when an intoxicated driver hit a Cedar Springs Public Schools bus.

The accident happened shortly before 3 p.m. at the corner of 18 Mile and Main Street in Cedar Springs.

According to Cedar Springs Police Chief Roger Parent, a pickup truck, driven by a 48-year-old Cedar Springs man, was heading north on Main Street, and attempted to turn right on to 18 Mile, where he crossed over the center line, and hit a school bus waiting at the stop sign to turn left on Main Street. He hit the bus in the left rear wheel area.

Parent said the pickup driver’s door could have been open, because the bus driver reported that the driver was falling out as he passed her window. He didn’t actually fall out, however.

Police believe alcohol was involved. Parent said the driver did admit to recently drinking and was arrested. He is expected to be arraigned Thursday. Neither the driver nor his 60-year-old passenger were injured.

Parent said the bus driver reported minor shoulder pain, consistent with wearing a seatbelt.

According to Assistant Cedar Springs Superintendent David Cairy, the students on the bus were middle school to high school age. He said each student was checked out individually to be sure they were uninjured. They were then put on another bus to finish the route.

“Overall it was a good result to an unfortunate accident,” said Parent.

Police looking for older red pickup

Police think that an accident on US131 last Saturday could be the result of a road rage incident.

Montcalm County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a personal injury crash that occurred on US 131 in Reynolds Township Saturday afternoon, April 14. They reported that two vehicles were heading south, when the vehicle in front, a red Ford Ranger pickup, suddenly braked. The car behind, a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu, driven by David

Wolansky, 56, of Reed City, had to swerve to avoid the truck and lost control, going off the road and hitting some trees. The truck continued southbound on US131.

Wolansky and his wife, Susan Wolansky, 53, had to be extricated from their car by medical/fire personnel using the “Jaws of Life.” Susan Wolansky was taken to Mecosta County General Hospital in Big Rapids by Mecosta County Emergency Medical Services. Her injuries/condition are unknown but are believed to be non-life threatening. David Wolansky was taken to Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids by Montcalm County Emergency Medical Services with a serious leg injury. His condition at this time is unknown.

Deputies are looking for an older red Ford Ranger, with stickers in the rear window. The crash remains under investigation and the Sheriff’s office is asking anyone with any information to call 989-831-7590 or the TIP line at 989-831-7593.

Montcalm County Sheriff’s Deputies were assisted at the scene by Howard City Fire Department, along with Montcalm and Mecosta County Emergency Medical Services.