Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
IRONWOOD PUBLIC Safety Department officer Mike Rimkus walks from the scene of a 1 p.m. Tuesday two-vehicle accident on Cloverland Drive at the Luxmore Street intersection.
By RALPH ANSAMI
Ironwood - The 81-year-old driver of one of the vehicles involved in a Tuesday afternoon accident on Cloverland Drive was pulled from the car unconscious following the crash.
Beacon Ambulance and the Ironwood Public Safety Department responded to the accident at the Luxmore Street intersection around 1 p.m.
The driver of the van that smashed into the compact car said the Ironwood man had turned right in front of her on Cloverland Drive and she slammed on her brakes, but couldn't avoid the collision. She said she knew the driver of the small car.
Ironwood Public Safety Department Director Andrew DiGiorgio confirmed later Tuesday that the elderly man was at fault because he had a red light.
The man was being treated at Aspirus Grand View Hospital for "serious" injuries.
A man traveling behind the van confirmed at the scene that the driver of the small car had made an illegal turn and he had slammed on his brakes and nearly rear-ended the van.
The small car was demolished.
Both front tires on the van were flattened and the front end was damaged from the impact of the collision. It was also a total loss.
DiGiorgio said because of the nature of the crash, a Michigan State Police accident reconstruction team was called in.
He said the occupants of the van later drove to the hospital to be checked out.
A wrecker was summoned and tow truck workers and IPSD officers cleared the scene of glass and debris as traffic was slowed at a busy time of the day.
All four lanes of the highway reopened shortly after 4 p.m.
