Atlas Twp.-At approximately 3 p.m., Monday a 17-year-old Lapeer male driving a pickup truck south on M-15 near Green Road attempted to stop for a vehicle in front of him and swerved into the path of a northbound sport utility vehicle driven by a 52-year-old township woman. The driver of the pickup truck along with a 17-year-old female passenger in the front seat who were both wearing seatbelts, received serious but not life threating injuries, said Capt. Chris Swanson Genesee County Sheriff’s Department. A 14-year-old passenger, the sister of the driver, in the backseat of the pickup truck, who was not wearing a seatbelt is in serious condition with life-threatening injuries. Her condition was unknown at press time Thursday. The female driver of the northbound sport utility vehicle also received serious but not life-threatening injuries. Killed in the crash were a German Shepherd and a pomeranian who were passengers in the sport utility vehicle.
Swanson said that neither alcohol nor speed were factors in the crash.
‘M-15 continues to be one of the most dangerous roads in Genesee County,? he said. ‘There’s only one stop light between Ortonville and Goodrich along that stretch of M-15’speeds often exceed the posted 55 mph. We have deputies out there everyday patrolling that area. Keep in mind that if you must swerve to avoid an accident, do so to the right of the obstacle in the road.?
Swanson said HazMat teams along with township firefighters responded to the crash site after approximately 45 gallons of gasoline was spilled on the roadway. The crash remains under investigation.