Police: Investigation continues into rollover crash on U.S. 23 that killed 2 children
Michigan State Police troopers continue to investigate the crash that killed two children in late June, but they have released few updates on the crash.
Ashley and Jordan Siegel
Jordan and Ashley Siegel, 14 and 11 respectively, died following a crash on U.S. 23 south of Michigan Avenue on June 22. Police said a silver minivan similar to a Honda Odyssey hit the 1999 Ford Expedition in which they were riding, then left the scene.
Sgt. Mark Thompson told AnnArbor.com that the investigation is still active, but there has been nothing to release since mid-July, when a lawyer for a woman who was driving a vehicle that matched the description of the Odyssey contacted them. However, Thompson said he couldn’t publicly state what stage of the investigation police are in.
“It’s an investigation and nothing happens fast in an investigation,” he said. “All I can tell you is the investigation is continuing and officers are diligently following up on leads.”
Police said the Expedition, driven by the children's stepmother, Dawn Siegel, was traveling south when the Odyssey moved into the same lane. Police said witnesses stated the van and Expedition collided and the van continued to drive south on US-23.
The Siegel children were two of seven people in the Expedition when it rolled several times into the median on US-23. The vehicle ended up coming to rest on its roof in the grass.
Jordan and Ashley died at the scene of the crash. They were Royal Oak Middle School students.
Thompson said the attorney for a woman who was driving a vehicle that matched the description of the suspect vehicle description contacted police on July 11. He emphasized there were no admissions of guilt from the attorney’s client and the investigation is still active.
“No one has surrendered to the police regarding the investigation, there have been no admissions, no charges filed,” Thompson said. “A vehicle matching description has been turned over to the police by an attorney on behalf of the attorney’s client. The investigation is still open and active.”
Thompson asked that anyone with information on the crash who wants to come forward contact the Michigan State Police Brighton Post at 810-227-1051.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
EMU Prof
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 3:24 p.m.
I know that quantum physics are rewriting our understanding of how matter works...but all the same, if two large, fast-moving vehicles struck each other broadside, wouldn't they go flying off in opposite directons? You know, equal and opposite reaction and all that.
Basic Bob
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 2:14 a.m.
You're assuming an elastic collision, without regard to the forces of gravity and friction, and Newton's First Law of physics. This is clearly more complicated than the interactions between two balls on a pool table, and I have trouble predicting those.
Matt Cooper
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 2:04 a.m.
They didn't collide broadside, at least not as I've read in the articles here and elsewhere. And no, I wouldn't think that if one vehicle was traveling abreast of another and moved into the others lane that they would both drastically have altered paths. The vehicle being impacted certainly would , but, having been in a couple of car accidents myself, I would have a hard time believing the one initating the impact would "go flying off in opposite directions".
Justavoice
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 9:57 a.m.
Seems to me that everyone is assuming that the driver admitted to being involved. Ths is probably not the case. Their lawyer most likely contacted the police saying that the vehicle matching the description was in the area during the time frame and nothing more. Witnesses,as far as we know, only had a possible make, model, and color reported with no plate or ther description. So to start with they would have to prove that this was indeed the vehicle involved (damage consistent, paint damage, the driver was the one behind the wheel, etc) to bring charges unless there was some admission of being involved. This is good solid police work that takes time, and affords everyone the due process we are entitled to. At that point, it may just be a charge of leaving the scene of an accident, then it's a matter of proving fault. This has to be agonizing to the friends and family of the deceased children and injured in this case, however a rush to judgement by the police or public doesn't win cases or rightfully punish. Solid police work, due process and correct fault assignment is what we are all afforded. This takes time, and I praise the investigators to take time to get it right and build a winnable case. Getting it wrong, will do nothing to the memory of these that lost lives, or the standards that we hold ourselves to as being Americans. My 2 cents as always.
snapshot
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 5:13 a.m.
How does "no fault" insurance work into such an accident?
Tag
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 3:44 a.m.
Thanks for the update. Though we don't know all the facts many people are judging and want justice because two young lives were lost. We don't know who the driver of the Honda was, on the other hand, we do know who the driver of the Ford was. How about asking for an interview with the driver of the Ford. She probably knows what happened and you don't hear her screaming for justice regarding the driver of the Honda. It was a terrible accident.
Tru2Blu76
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 3:25 a.m.
Sorry but just turning over one's vehicle through an attorney doesn't bespeak guilt: a non-involved driver would naturally want police to confirm that theirs was NOT the vehicle being sought - assuming they knew they were driving near the accident at roughly the time it happened. It's just a terrible tragedy that those two kids died in the collision. My sincerest sympathy goes out to their family and friends.
Old Salt
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 2:53 a.m.
It should not be too difficult to determine that the Odyssey impounded was or was not the vehicle involved in the accident which kiled two persons.
Patriot
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 2:40 a.m.
This seems very strange. I believe I read there were witnesses in the near vicinity who stated what type of vehicle ti was that HIT the Expedition, causing it to crash. In fact they knew the make, model, and color. As horrific as the accident was (rolling, sliding, items flinging about, glass, nose, etc...) no driver in the vicinity could have missed what happened and not stop. The whole freeway stopped (except the subject vehicle that fled the scene). That drive knew they were involved - because they came back weeks later on their own - with an attorney. If they did nothing wrong or have nothing to hide - their story would be much different process of becoming known. Accident happen all the time. Man up and say - sorry I screwed up and fix the situation. But some people who cause them seem to just deny their responsibility and blame everyone or someone else. They are not real human beings deep down. If they were - this would be a totally different story. If found guilty - they should get heavy prison penalties and major lawsuits awards against them which should in fact ruin their lives too. An eye for an eye. Do the right thing and hang up the phone and quit texting while driving. Your driving so just drive. If the call or text is so important - stop driving and take care first - before you drive again. .
Mike
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 12:08 a.m.
Wow.. how long does it take to match paint on any scratches on the minivan? The State Police have all day to sit in the median to hand out revenue raising tickets but they don't have time to render an actual public service in a timely fashion here? Fire more State Police.
Matt Cooper
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 1:58 a.m.
Anna, try reading the newspapers early in the morning. Or watching the early morning crash reports on any of the Detroit TV stations. Each and every morning, without fail, there are several reports of vehicles crashing on any of the major highways in the greater Detroit/Ann Arbor area.
Ron
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 2:50 a.m.
I have to agree with you jcj. I am always hearing calls for accidents on the local highways 99% of the time. SO yes almost every morning there IS an accident some where on our local highways. As for the State Police sitting on the side of the highway wasting time giving out tickets, that is what they are assigned to do. IT's called road patrol. The Detectives investigating the accident are NOT assigned to road Patrol. Things like this get handed over to Detectives to investigate just like any other major crime like a murder or Bank Robbery. It's just going to take time for them to sort everything out and double check it to make sure no mistakes were made before releasing any of that information to the public.
jcj
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 2:33 a.m.
Anna Mike is assuming there IS paint to match! Mike does not know that "the State Police have all day to sit in the median" Go ahead give Mike a pass on HIS innuendo and exaggeration! I stand corrected there are multiple crashes in the morning every week.
Anna
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 2:23 a.m.
Uh, hey, jcj: Do *YOU* have physical evidence that a crash occurs "every morning"? Or that "speed [is a cause] of them"? No. No, you don't. I understand that you're utilizing exaggeration to make a point, but please don't attack Mike for stating his opinion and/or making inquiries regarding our jurisdiction.
jcj
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 12:29 a.m.
Do you know that the vehicles touched? Do you know that they have not matched paint samples? NO to both questions! If you would slow down you might not mind seeing State Police in the median! I would welcome seeing more of them. Then maybe those that speed would not be causing crashes every morning!
Tesla
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 11:12 p.m.
"No one has surrendered to the police regarding the investigation, there have been no admissions, no charges filed," Thompson said. "A vehicle matching description has been turned over to the police by an attorney on behalf of the attorney's client. The investigation is still open and active." Am I to gleen from this that the investigators have not or are not being allowed to interview the driver of the Odyssey?
Eight Ball
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 10:23 p.m.
Q: Am I to gleen from this that the investigators have not or are not being allowed to interview the driver of the Odyssey? A: Good question. Non-gleenable from the article.
Madeleine Borthwick
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 5:23 p.m.
hey Tesla, it's g-l-e-a-n, not "g-l-e-e-n."......
a2citizen
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 11:11 p.m.
"...A vehicle matching description has been turned over to the police..." If this is the case the police should be able to determine the owner in a few days. If the investigators have the VIN then they know who the last registered owner is, tracing the sales forward shouldn't be much of a problem.
jcj
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 10:11 p.m.
There is no reason to rush to judgment. The police should get all the information they can then turn it over to the prosecutor. Let justice run its course.
jcj
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 11:02 p.m.
Unless of course Judge Morris gets the case!
DonBee
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 10:10 p.m.
Good police work takes time. This sounds like it will take as much time as needed to get to the best available answers on what happened. Most of what we see on CSI is done in "time lapse" fashion - DNA testing takes days to weeks - not minutes, accident reconstruction - days of time. In short - to do it right takes time. The fact that the second vehicle that may have been involved was unavailable and could have been cleaned/altered adds to the time it takes. Eventually we will hear more. Stay with it Kyle, but expect no real answers before Thanksgiving.
tommy_t
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 10:07 p.m.
Rich, powerful or famous any other schmo would be in the slammer.
MathGeek
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 1:26 a.m.
They sound rich and powerful, driving a Honda Oddssey.
FoxviewFarm
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 8:19 p.m.
hmmm. Just by not coming forward, I think there is some sort of admission of guilt. Yes, scary as h e double toothpicks if you're the one that caused this, and I can imagine the guilt that that person must feel. But you STOP and you HELP and you are THERE at the scene. Its the right thing to do. Accidents happen, sadly. But not admitting to an error is wrong. There is no going back, only forward, and I am glad the driver came forward. But they should have stopped then, and perhaps there might have been a clearer story-maybe there was another issue that caused the driver to sideswipe (which is what it sounds like happened.) At this point in time, all one has is the result, which is, indeed, tragic.
GoNavy
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 2:04 a.m.
This assumes two things are true: -There was contact; -The driver of the Odyssey knew it and didn't stop. Do we really know these two things to be true? Because if they're not, everything you've said is inapplicable.
OLDTIMER3
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 9:39 p.m.
They have never proven contact was made to start with. If they didn't collide she probably never knew (if) she caused an accident.
Top Cat
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 8:13 p.m.
So is it established as a fact that the two vehicles made contact ? Was there actually a hit and run ?
Eight Ball
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 10:21 p.m.
No it is not established.
cibachrome
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 7:58 p.m.
Not so fast. What part in this crash did the Expedition play? If it was doing 80 and the driver was in a hurry to get somewhere, and the Odyssey was going 65 and passing a slow car (that's why they would be doing 65), then there is little chance that the Expedition could have slowed down in time to avoid contact. Sure, one could argue that the van driver should have looked in their mirror, but at such a high closing speed, there is little chance to see it coming and a big presumption on the part of both drivers as to who should yield. This very same scenario is the cause of most crashed on expressways. A slow driver pulls out into a lane that a speeding vehicle wants. Lets hear about the conduct of the Expedition before you chastise the van driver. If they paniced, slammed on the brakes and steered very much, they they have some responsibility in this sad and hearbreaking ordeal.
shutthefrtdoor
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 7:59 p.m.
I had a hard time following this scenario...gave up less than half way through...
twokidsmom
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 2:10 p.m.
Whatever actually happened, the van should have STOPPED and checked the other vehicle when the accident happened. The car rolled over several times for goodness sake. It's pretty hard to NOT know that the other car was in trouble! Driving away after such an accident, especially when you are involved, is just so wrong.
annarbortownie
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 10:14 a.m.
Let me get this straight. A person can drive on the highway, side swipe a HUGE vehicle to the point it rolls over, kills two children, KEEP GOING and people are ready to blame the other person. You hit something you STOP. Who is this person and WHY have charges for, at the very least, leaving the scene of an accident not been filed??
johnnya2
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 1:39 a.m.
The law on this is clear. If you can not change a lane safely, you are at fault. Your scenario does NOT absolve the driver who left the scene (which in and of itself is a crime)
Craig Lounsbury
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 10:08 p.m.
I don't think he is "assuming" anything. Just laying out possible scenarios that could make things different than they might initially seem.
OLDTIMER3
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 9:36 p.m.
No one ever said how fast either car was driving. You are assuming to much.
Doug
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 7:28 p.m.
These is a no brainer!
jcj
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 10:09 p.m.
Only to those without!