As we enjoy the first sunshine we have seen in quite a while, police have still been responding to crashes and slide-offs, related to vehicle speeds and road conditions, periodically throughout the day.
The sunshine and increased visibility today have been deceiving for drivers. While the beauty of winter appears quite tranquil through a living room window, the roads are still ice-covered and quite slippery. Drivers still need to be extremely cautious on the icy roads.
Fruitport Township Police Department responded to a single-vehicle rollover crash in the area of S. Dangl Rd and Ellis Rd this morning at approximately 9:30 a.m.
Reports from other motorists on the scene indicated the car was under water in the ditch. Upon arrival, police located the overturned vehicle in the ditch. The ditches along S. Dangl Rd are relatively deep, and water that had collected in the ditch had frozen over. The vehicle had broken through the ice and was upside down.
Police were directed to another nearby vehicle where the driver of the vehicle involved in the crash had been taken for warmth after being rescued from the overturned vehicle by other motorists. The driver was cold and wet but had sustained no injuries.
One individual at the scene described a male subject (who had left prior to police arrival) as being "an angel" who had risked his own safety to rescue the driver of the vehicle. The male subject had reportedly broken through the ice under his own weight and was wet up to his chest while helping the driver get out of the vehicle.
The driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle at the time of the crash and was not injured in the incident.
Although visibility conditions have improved, motorists are encouraged to reduce speeds and drive with due care and caution.
