ALLEGAN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — The Allegan County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a five-vehicle crash involving students from Allegan County Area Technical and Education Center.
Allegan Fire District Chief Nick Brink says 13 people were involved in the crash, which happened as they were leaving the school on M-222/116th Avenue, west of 24th Street in Allegan Township.
“It was a mess,” Brink said of the crash, which happened around 10:13 a.m. Tuesday.
Brink says one of two vehicles involved in the main crash veered off the road, going airborne 60 to 70 feet before landing in a field and rolling. The vehicle was on its side when it came to rest against a fencepost.
Brink says the two backseat passengers in the airborne vehicle were not wearing their seat belts. They were seriously injured, but are expected to survive.
"There is no reason that they are alive. They are lucky to be alive, it was a bad accident,” Brink told 24 Hour News 8.
"For the magnitude of this accident, all are lucky to be alive," he added.
Two other people suffered minor injuries in the crash. Life EMS took all four people who were injured to the hospital.
Authorities shut down M-222 for about an hour to investigate and clean up the crashes.
Brink says roads were dry at the time of the crash, and speed was “definitely a factor.”
He encourages everyone to educate young drivers on safe driving habits.