Chaos unfolded on northbound US-131 near Wealthy Street in Grand Rapids yesterday morning, as a succession of two vehicular crash incidents forced the highway to shut down, officials confirmed. According to WZZM13, the initial collision occurred around 7:15 a.m., involving an SUV that collided with a smaller sedan, causing the latter to burst into flames and the former to roll over.
The Grand Rapids Police Department reported that upon their arrival at the first crash scene they discovered the sedan engulfed in a blaze and the SUV overturned, with officers responding to the second nearby crash without injuries, as the road closure extended to Franklin Street SE, as per WWMT. Occupants from both vehicles in the initial crash were safely extracted by the first responders, following which the Grand Rapids Fire Department extinguished the fire.
Investigations suggest that the driver of the SUV, which held five passengers including a one-year-old child, rear-ended the sedan while under the influence, leading to their arrest for suspected OWI, the driver of the sedan suffered minor injuries and both were taken to local hospitals for care, this all comes according to the officials from the Grand Rapids Police Department, as reported by WOODTV. Speed and alcohol are considered significant contributors to the crash.
In a puzzling turn within the debris of the sedan, officers reportedly uncovered 200 rounds of unfired ammunition although it is currently unclear how this relates to the incident, the second crash fortunately led to no injuries with the entire area subsequently reopened around 9 a.m, following the cleanup and preliminary investigation.
