Clare, Michigan, became the unexpected stage for a dramatic turn of events on the night of Thursday, July 18, when two motorcyclists were struck by a suspected drunken driver. The Clare Police Department reported that at approximately 11:23 p.m., at the intersection of 5th Street and McEwan Street, a white Chevrolet SUV collided with an orange Harley Davidson motorcycle, as per ABC12. Carrying a male driver and a female passenger from Mason, both on the motorcycle were gravely injured in the crash.
The ill-fated motorcyclists, thrown into turmoil through no fault of their own, were swiftly attended to; one motorcyclist was airlifted from the Clare Municipal Airport to a trauma center for advanced care, while the other was transported by ambulance to an area hospital for emergency treatment. The Clare Police Department, lending their voice to this narrative, stated that the SUV was traveling at a high rate of speed south on McEwan Street before the impact occurred. This account was echoed by WNEM.
Following the incident, the driver of the SUV, identified as 34-year-old Thomas Claringbold III of Clare, allegedly fled the scene. Authorities, however, were able to locate and apprehend him a short while later. Having been arraigned the following Friday, Claringbold now faces a slew of charges including two counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious injuries, two counts of failure to stop at the scene of a crash causing serious injuries, two counts of reckless driving causing serious injuries, and one count of failure to report a crash. MLive provided further details, citing that he is currently housed in the Clare County Jail with bond set at $250,000.
In the aftermath of the accident, the Michigan State Police Accident Investigation Unit took charge of the investigation to determine the full spectrum of the incident's circumstances. Adding to the collaborative spirit in response to this event were the Clare Fire Department, Clare County Sheriff’s Department, and Mobile Medical Response, all contributing their expertise at the scene. The community, waking to the news of such a devastating occurrence among them, likely awaits justice for the motorcyclists whose evening ride down McEwan Street ended in tragedy.
