COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The prediction of heavy snow Saturday came through, and area police agencies were kept busy with multlple accidents and slide-offs throughout the day and into the evening. The Branch County Sheriff’s Department responded to 18 slide-offs, 8 property damage accidents, and 3 personal injury accidents Saturday, with road and weather conditons a factor in all the accidents.
There were two head-on accidents, one on each side of the county. The first happened Saturday at 11:12 a.m. on U.S.12 near Maple Road in Quincy Township. Deputies say a vehicle driven by 55 year old John Boulton of Allen, Michigan was eastbound when he lost control on the icy road and began to spin. His vehicle crossed the centerline and was struck by a westbound vehicle driven by 28 year old Brittany Gray of Allen. A four year old and one year old in Gray’s car were belted into child retraints on te backseat of Allen’s car. Both drivers were out of their vehicles when police arrived, and there were only minor injuries.
Around 1 p.m. Saturday there was another head-on crash, this time on U.S.12 west of Wildlife Road in Bethel Twnship. A westbound vehicle driven by 20 year old Areli Otiz-Pina of Bronson lost control due to the snowy and slushy road conditions, crossed the centerline, and struck the vehicle driven by 22 year old Dakota Hunnaman of Bronson, which was eastbound. Bronson Firemen had to cut Otiz-Pina out of the vehicle.
Later in the afternoon Saturday, Branch County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to a one vehicle accident on M-86 west of Hodunk Road. They say a car driven by 32 year old Jami Edson of Three Rivers was traveling too fast for the snowy conditions, lost control, left the roadway, and struck a fence and utility pole.
