Two teens seriously injured, SUV catches fire in 3-car crash
A chain-reaction collision during Wednesday morning's commute sent two teenagers to the hospital with serious injuries and left an SUV fully engulfed in flames in Blendon Township.
BLENDON TWP. — A chain-reaction collision during Wednesday morning's commute sent two teenagers to the hospital with serious injuries and left an SUV fully engulfed in flames in Blendon Township.
First responders from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office, Blendon Township Fire Department, and LIFE EMS were dispatched to the intersection of 72nd Avenue and Blair Street at approximately 7:19 a.m. following reports of a three-vehicle crash.
According to preliminary investigative findings, a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe driven by a 17-year-old Zeeland girl was traveling northbound on 72nd Avenue with a 14-year-old female passenger when she slowed down to turn left onto Blair Street. A northbound 2007 Toyota RAV4, driven by a 21-year-old Zeeland man, failed to stop in time and rear-ended the Hyundai.
The force of the impact thrust the Hyundai across the center line and into oncoming traffic, where it collided head-on with a southbound 2014 Chevrolet Impala driven by a 36-year-old Allendale woman.
Meanwhile, the Toyota RAV4 veered off the east shoulder of 72nd Avenue and came to a rest in a ditch, where it quickly caught fire. The 21-year-old driver managed to escape the vehicle just before flames fully engulfed it. Firefighters from the Blendon Township Fire Department arrived shortly after to extinguish the blaze.
The 17-year-old driver of the Hyundai and her 14-year-old passenger both suffered serious injuries and were transported by LIFE EMS ambulance to a local hospital for treatment.
The driver of the Toyota and the 36-year-old driver of the Impala both sustained minor injuries; both were treated and released by emergency medical personnel at the scene.
Deputies shut down 72nd Avenue for several hours while emergency crews cleared the wreckage and gathered evidence.
The crash remains under active investigation by the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office.
— Submitted by the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office. To submit a news tip, email newsroom@ottawanewsnetwork.org.
