Goodrich – A tow strap four feet too long is thought to have caused a severe Thanksgiving Day accident.
A 22-year-old Waterford man was steering a Jeep being towed south on M-15 by the driver’s brother, a 24-year-old Waterford man, said Sgt. Dave McDonald, spokesman for the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department traffic team.
The Jeep veered into the northbound lane about 11:25 a.m. Nov. 25, colliding head-on with a 2002 Chevrolet Blazer.
The driver of the Blazer, a 53-year-old Taylor man, was headed to Frankenmuth with his wife, also 53. The crash caused severe lower-body injuries.
Three Genesee County Paramedics and other sheriff’s department personnel assisted Atlas Township Firefighters at the scene, where they helped extricate the couple and the Jeep driver from the vehicles.
Ambulances from three Genesee County bases transported the patients to area hospitals, said Sgt. Joe Parks, commander of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Atlas Township Precinct.
‘I think they all did a great job, especially on a holiday,? said Lt. Jim Riley, scene commander from the Atlas Township Fire Department, who commended the firefighters for the good turnout.
‘We have two sets of Jaws of Life, that’s one of the reasons we didn’t call another department to help,? he said.
Despite the injuries, sheriff’s personnel were amazed the couple survived the crash.
The car is one of the 10 worst Parks has seen in his career, he said.
‘All I kept on thinking was they’ve got a lot to be thankful for,? said Riley, formerly an EMT for an ambulance company. ‘There have been a lot of nasty wrecks on that corner.?
According to police reports, the strap used to tow the Jeep was 19 feet long; the maximum allowable length is 15 feet, said Parks.