Two men have been pronounced dead following a head-on crash in Alpena Township, with another man left in a critical condition, authorities said. The incident, involving two pickup trucks, happened on US-23 between North Partridge Point Road and South Partridge Point Road around 8 p.m. Monday, as per the Michigan State Police.
A Dodge Ram, heading southbound and operated by a 21-year-old Harrisville man, veered across the center line and collided with a northbound Chevrolet Avalanche, driven by a 28-year-old Ossineke man, WWJ reported. A witness described the Ram as weaving and speeding before the tragic crash. The 19-year-old passenger in the Ram was pronounced dead at the scene, while the Avalanche driver succumbed to his injuries after being extracted from his wrecked vehicle and taken to the hospital.
The Ram's 21-year-old Lincoln passenger was transported alongside the driver to MyMichigan Medical Center in Alpena for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, details from a MidMichiganNow report suggest. The crash site, rendered chaotic with mangled metal and the stench of tragedy, was attended by the Alpena Township Fire Department, MSP, Alpena County Sheriffs’ Department, and Alpena County Ambulance Service.
The father of the Ram's driver, John Matthews, relayed to The Alpena News, that his son is in a coma and fighting for his life at the Hurley Medical Center in Flint. "He's on a ventilator with a long list of serious injuries", Matthews disclosed, emphasizing the severity of his son’s condition. Meanwhile, the names of the deceased have not been released as the investigation continues to unravel the precise cause of this dreadful encounter.
Michigan State Police are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident, probing into factors such as vehicle speed, road conditions, and potentially impairing substances.
