A Saturday afternoon drive ended in tragedy when an 85-year-old Midland man died after his car collided with a semitruck near the intersection of East Buttles and State streets, according to Midland police. The crash sent both people in the passenger car to area hospitals.
Officers were dispatched to the intersection after reports of the crash at about 4 p.m., and the driver was later pronounced dead at the hospital. His 85-year-old female passenger remained hospitalized with injuries described by officials as not life-threatening, as reported by Midland Daily News.
The other vehicle involved was a semitruck. Police said the truck's driver, a 47-year-old man from Memphis, Tennessee, was not injured in the collision. Fire, EMS, and law enforcement units, including the Midland County Sheriff's Office and MyMichigan Medical Center EMS, assisted at the scene, according to MLive.
Where It Happened and Traffic Context
The collision occurred at East Buttles and State, a corridor that has been the focus of traffic studies and a lane-reduction trial in recent years. The City of Midland's public FAQ notes that crash counts rose in the first year of the Buttles Street trial, a change city officials have said is partly linked to driver behavior and signal violations rather than the reconfigured roadway, per the City of Midland.
Police continue to investigate the collision and have asked anyone with information to contact the Midland Police Department Community Relations Office at 989-839-4772, Midland Daily News reports. Authorities did not immediately release the identity of the driver so family members could be notified first.
