Eleven injured in 3-car crash after Ford F-150 crosses centerline
Updated story: First-responders adjust when U-M's Survival Flight is grounded
Previous story: Multiple injuries reported in 3-car crash on Geddes Road
The 26-year-old driver of a Ford F-150 caused a three-car crash that injured 11 people Monday when he crossed the centerline and struck a Ford Escape.
Firefighters work to remove a woman from a black Ford Escape Monday afternoon.
Courtney Sacco I AnnArbor.com
Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Geoffrey Fox said the man was driving the truck west on Geddes Road west of Prospect Road. At this point, it’s unclear why the man crossed the centerline, Fox said.
The F-150 struck the Escape, which then collided with a Chevrolet van before the crash was reported at 5:05 p.m., Fox said.
“We’re not sure if he was passing or ducked out to see ahead of him,” Fox said.
The 26-year-old suffered broken bones in his wrist and possibly in his foot as well, Fox said. However, the people in the Escape received more serious injuries.
A 41-year-old woman in the Escape suffered broken legs, a broken pelvis and a collapsed lung. A man who was in the SUV suffered a broken arm, facial injuries and a lung injury. A 16-year-old girl who was a passenger suffered internal injuries and was taken into surgery. Fox did not know the extent of her injuries Tuesday afternoon.
The seven people in the Chevrolet van were transported to the hospital with minor injuries, Fox said. There were two adults and five children in the car, aged 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12. Fox said it was likely that they were taken to the hospital due to their young age.
At this point, the driver of the F-150 has not been cited. The report is not finished and Fox did not know where the man was from. He said the investigation into the accident needed to be finished before he could be given a ticket or charged with any crimes.
“They wouldn’t cite him with anything right away,” Fox said. “They’re doing a complete investigation and we’ve waited to see what the investigation at the scene showed and what all the injuries were.”
Survival Flight was called to the scene of the crash Monday afternoon, but Fox said officials with the service decided they could not fly due to the weather. He did not have specifics on what aspect of the weather caused Survival Flight to stay grounded and a request for comment to University of Michigan Health System from AnnArbor.com was not immediately returned Tuesday.
Multiple people had to be cut out of vehicles involved in the crash, including the woman in the Ford Escape. Geddes was closed between Prospect and LeForge for hours Monday evening so deputies could investigate.
Fox said there’s no indication of drugs or alcohol being a factor in the crash.
The report on the crash still is not complete and information on all the individuals involved in the wreck was not immediately available, Fox said. The extent of the injuries in the crash was still becoming clear and updates could come later on Tuesday.
Huron Valley Ambulance, Superior Township Fire Department and Ann Arbor Fire Department personnel all responded to the scene, along with the sheriff's office.
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
MommaM
Sun, Feb 17, 2013 : 3:51 p.m.
Sorry I have not had time yet to make a big thank you to all the EMS and Firemen that worked so hard in the cold to get my daughter out of this wreck. My son-in-law and granddaughter have been released from the hospital and are both in pain and will need additional medical treatment. My daughter, who was trapped in this SUV for an hour and a half is still hospitalized and will be undergoing her 4th surgery in the next few days. I am so thankful she is alive, but wish I could take away all her pain. I want to thank everyone for prayers being sent. It will be two weeks tomorrow since this accident happened and my daughter has a long road of rehab ahead of her. People please drive safely....my daughter and her families lives have been changed forever.
grimmk
Wed, Feb 6, 2013 : 8:31 a.m.
I'm so glad no one died. I'm sorry to hear of the severity of some of the injuries, but am happy no death occurred. I drive that stretch of road almost daily. I know it can be frustrating to some drivers to come upon someone doing 45-40 in a 50 zone but slow down when the weather is bad. I've seen lots of people pass on a double yellow around there and you can't see very well over that hill.
CincoDeMayo
Wed, Feb 6, 2013 : 12:45 a.m.
Years ago I was driving westbound on that stretch of Geddes when I hit some black ice sending me over into the oncoming lane. I was very fortunate; there was no oncoming traffic and I was able to slide right back into the proper lane. I was young and it really scared me to think about what may have happened had there been more traffic at that moment. This was years (and years) before cell phones.
Nicholas Urfe
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 11:23 p.m.
Why can't car drivers obey the laws and drive safely?
talker
Wed, Feb 6, 2013 : 3:08 a.m.
Apparently, the drivers of the SUV and the minivan obeyed the laws. The driver of the pickup truck went across the center line and into the oncoming lane. Once the police have completed their investigation we'll know more details.
JRW
Wed, Feb 6, 2013 : 12:13 a.m.
Unfortunately, that's like asking why people don't stop drinking before they get drunk, or why people text while driving on an icy road. Bad judgement.
Cossur
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 11:02 p.m.
I'm impressed by the minor injuries to the F-150 driver. Further confirms my belief that that vehicle is one safe truck! My son suffered serious injuries in one years ago but the injuries were caused by his seatbelt! He hit a tree at 50mph, bounced off it and hit a second tree! And was able to get out of the truck on his own. And no I don't work for Ford.
rasquat
Wed, Feb 6, 2013 : 3:05 p.m.
Yep, stick your kid in a giant gas-guzzler to make up for their lack of attention and driving skills! They might be more safe in a crash, but it won't keep them from hurting other people! Glad your son walked away from his accident ok, though (no snark).
talker
Wed, Feb 6, 2013 : 3:16 a.m.
I believe the SUV hit by the pickup truck was also a Ford product. I'm not judging any vehicle company or ranking one above another. There are other variables such as how and where the impact affected vehicles and passengers. The details of the impact may reveal why a woman in the SUV was the most seriously injured. My wishes are with her. She faces months of pain, surgery, and healing. She also faces months of physical therapy and will likely need a driver for months. Besides that, I hope her collapsed lung and fractures, especially her pelvic fracture don't interfere with her future mobility. I'm not concerned with the driver's minor injuries. I'm wondering if there was something he could have done to avoid injuring others severely.
CincoDeMayo
Wed, Feb 6, 2013 : 12:39 a.m.
Having worked in crash research, I have seen those F-150's really hold up as they are supposed to - I have seen an entire cab preserved while the rest of the truck was totally crushed. I don't work for Ford either. But I do drive them!
Ann English
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 10:21 p.m.
It was a westbound vehicle that crossed into my lane of traffic on that stretch of Geddes about seven years ago, causing me to get further over to the right than was safe. I overcorrected several times, but regained control of my car before any more westbound vehicles approached. As another comment poster wrote yesterday, there isn't much room on that stretch of Geddes for mistakes to be made.
Tom Todd
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 10:52 p.m.
2 beers jail time fines suspensions, texting talking on the phone no repercussions
Terry Star21
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 10:15 p.m.
Kyle; kudos for the parent that strapped and secured those five (5) kids into their seats - very likely saving severe injuries or worse !
Jack
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 9:12 p.m.
Good reporting job, Kyle.
A2comments
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 8:36 p.m.
4 miles from St. Joe's and they call for a helicopter? That lands where?
yourdad
Wed, Feb 6, 2013 : 7:43 p.m.
Just so that some of the ignorant opinions can be cleared up... In a traumatic injury case there is what medical professionals call the "golden hour". This refers to the first hour of treatment from impact to the operating room. With bad road conditions, this drive could easily be 10-15 minutes and highly risky. If we add to this the time it was expected to take to extricate the patient(s) from the wreckage, we can presume that the Incident Commander made a decision to call the helo in order to give the victims the best chance for survival. In addition, as the posted link shows, the personnel on board the helo and the treatments available are more advanced and limited in use to just those flight nurses. They can also determine that ground transport is sufficient but tranfer their skills and supplies into the ambulance. Things like large bore IV's with whole blood can only be administered by the flight nurses who work directly under the license of the flight physician. I hope this helps explain why first responders would call for a helo even though they are close in proximity to a hospital.
jcj
Wed, Feb 6, 2013 : 1:49 p.m.
The paramedics request the helos in most cases, and have overridden the requests of people in the accident in some situations. Right it is always better to have someone who has been in an accident with questionable judgement making the decision! Think about it! Unless the police or ambulance company gets a kick back the hospital does NOT make the decision on when to use the helo!
commonsense
Wed, Feb 6, 2013 : 2:09 a.m.
Rather than speculate, you may read the Washtenaw County medical protocol (by which all first responders must operate) regarding helicopter operations here: http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government/departments/medical_control_authority/washtenaw-livingston-mca-protocols-effective-april-4-2011/system-protocols-section-6/6r-1-air-ambulance-field-operations.pdf The reason for the helicopter request should become evident. In addition, until nurses and physicians start riding around on ground ambulances, this is how advanced-practice personnel are delivered to high risk incidents.
Loopy
Wed, Feb 6, 2013 : 1:40 a.m.
"Forget it, Johnny. It's Polynesiantown." [cue helicopter shot]
JRW
Wed, Feb 6, 2013 : 12:10 a.m.
Medical helicopters are overused all over the country. It has become a very lucrative business. The insurance reimbursements are $10-25,000 per flight. There are controversies about these giant flying ambulances and how they are used around the country, from the noise they generate, to the need to use them in many situations where people just aren't that injured. Some people in other states have been stuck with huge bills for medical helicopter flights to hospitals after an auto accident, when the person was only injured in a minor way and specifically requested an ambulance, and then the insurance refuses to pay for the helo since it wasn't medically necessary. The paramedics request the helos in most cases, and have overridden the requests of people in the accident in some situations. Medical helos are becoming a lucrative part of a hospital's income. And we wonder why healthcare costs are soaring.
HB11
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 8:57 p.m.
More like 2 miles.
mkm17
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 8:34 p.m.
I was driving on Geddes at that very location about an hour before the accident is said to have taken place. Because of the falling snow, I drove much more slowly than the posted speed limit. Whenever there are adverse conditions, I'm amazed at the number of drivers who don't alter their speeds.
jackson72
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 8:29 p.m.
I kind of like the new University of Michigan "Healthy" System moniker you gave them.
jns131
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 11:25 p.m.
Might want to copy right that one. Otherwise you won't get the credit. I do like it though.
Kyle Feldscher
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 8:35 p.m.
I think I smell a new ad campaign for the hospital. However, I have actually fixed that. Thanks for pointing it out.
Perry White
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 8:20 p.m.
"The F-150 struck the Escape, which then collided with a Chevrolet van before the crash was reported at 5:05 p.m., Fox said. " I think that this sentence should be rewritten.
a2zyzzyva
Wed, Feb 6, 2013 : 2:59 a.m.
It's important to know that the collision was not caused by the F-150 driver reporting the crash before it happened.
TinyArtist
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 11:52 p.m.
Sadly, it probably was before the final version was accepted.
Hmm
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 6:47 p.m.
One of my worst nightmares on that stretch of road. Or any two lane road really
Murf
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 7:41 p.m.
Especially right in that area leading up to LeForge where it narrows a bit near the wetlands.
bamboozled
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 6:46 p.m.
All traffic crash investigations should include subpoening texting records. Not saying that was the cause here, but it's something that must be evaluated.
hiphopopotamus
Wed, Feb 6, 2013 : 3:33 p.m.
What makes you believe a cell phone had anything to do with the cause of the crash?
DBH
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 10:22 p.m.
"I hate how that is the frist [sic] thing that comes to mind, not all accidents are caused from cell phones. People are getting better with them." @Jammers02, what makes you think "people are getting better with them"? I've seen no evidence of that.
Jammers02
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 8:59 p.m.
I hate how that is the frist thing that comes to mind, not all accidents are caused from cell phones. People are getting better with them. Lets just wait for the investigation before jumping to conclusions.
Ignatz
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 7:59 p.m.
If there is evidence of alcohol in the vehicle, don't they test the driver's blood alcohol level? So, if there is a cell phone, they should be able to check those records.
RuralMom
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 7:32 p.m.
Just like with anything, you have to have a reason to subpoena those records, not just merely have an accident. Where there witnesses that reported the driver on the phone? For all we know it could have been a medical crises. I absolutely hate texting/talking drivers, however, you may not take my rights or freedoms due to someone else's stupidity.
JRW
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 7:23 p.m.
And cell phone calls.
beachbaby
Tue, Feb 5, 2013 : 7:14 p.m.
I guess I thought they were nowadays, is this not the case?