1 killed in single-vehicle rollover on M-14 near Barton Drive
Firefighters talk at the scene of a rollover crash that left one person dead on M-14 in Ann Arbor Township Tuesday afternoon.
Daniel J. Brenner | AnnArbor.com
Update: Police identify woman killed in single-vehicle rollover
One person is dead after a single-vehicle rollover crash on westbound M-14 near Barton Drive Tuesday afternoon, according to medical officials.
Huron Valley Ambulance spokeswoman Joyce Williams said one person died after a crash between the west triple interchange of M-14 and U.S. 23 and Barton Drive in Ann Arbor Township. First responders went to the scene at 1:20 p.m. Tuesday.
The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office put out a Nixle alert telling drivers to avoid the area, as the left lane was closed for an undetermined amount of time.
As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, both lanes were closed on the road, according to dispatchers. The highway reopened about 3:35 p.m. Tuesday for normal traffic.
Michigan State Police troopers confirmed one person died in the crash, but did not immediately release more information just before 2:15 p.m. Tuesday.
It's not immediately clear what type of vehicle rolled over during the crash. The red vehicle came to rest on its roof and hood in the left lane of the roadway and what appeared to be debris from the interior of the car littered the highway.
Traffic was backed up about a mile to the interchange with U.S. 23 and drivers were turning their vehicles around and heading east to get off the freeway just before 3 p.m. Tuesday. Traffic was not moving at all about 3 p.m.
Most of the debris from the crash was contained to the left lane of the roadway.
Beaumont Medical Transportation and Livingston EMS were on scene at the crash in addition to HVA, Williams said. Ambulances from Beaumont and Livingston were in the area of the crash at the time it occurred, she said.
Check back to AnnArbor.com for more information on this incident as it becomes available.
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Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
jns131
Wed, Jul 17, 2013 : 9:55 p.m.
I am curious to know what type of vehicles these were and how the accident happened. The reason being is certain cars and the way they are driven can cause accidents in certain ways to happen. This stretch of road is so bad during rush hour.
canduit
Wed, Jul 17, 2013 : 4:37 p.m.
I was there. I saw the accident as it was happening. The first hint of something wrong was a large plume of dust. That was all I could see at first as I was travelling in the opposite direction on NB 23 just off of North Main Street in Ann Arbor. The dust caught my attention and then I saw the car spinning towards the concrete divider, sometimes air borne and sometimes out of sight behind the wall divider. The final time that it hit the wall, I was within 50 feet of it. Debris came raining down all around me as I pulled off the road on the shoulder. I was stunned as I crept along on the shoulder of the road. I felt my stomach tighten as I realized that I had been witness to the last seconds of a human life as it ended in that instant. I couldn't prevent my mind from imagining the horrible fear and panic that must have been in the mind of the occupants of that vehicle. I said a silent little prayer and decided that there would be nothing I could do to help. I continued on my way home all the while seeing the accident unfold over and over in my mind. By the time I got home, I was exhausted and ill. I feel for the family. I hope and pray for the healing of the loved ones. I also would like to see changes to the configuration of traffic merging and exiting on this section of the roadway.
jns131
Wed, Jul 17, 2013 : 9:58 p.m.
It also makes you realize that when you are in accident as it happened to us, due to the other driver not paying attention, that if this driver had a passenger? We would have been responsible for his or her death. There was not much left of the passenger side and we were only going 35. This was a van taking on a police officer who failed to yield to right of way traffic. Glad no one got hurt except in this instance.
ShootingStar
Wed, Jul 17, 2013 : 7:32 p.m.
As one of the many people who's life was touched by Debbie (the accident victim) this was difficult to read, but I'm grateful you posted. Sometimes during a tragedy knowing what happened can help calm our mind from constantly imaging what happened. My thanks to you for your compassion, and my deepest sympathy to all those who knew this very special woman.
Gorc
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 11:05 p.m.
I also express my condolences to the family. I am always nervous driving this part of M14, were it merges from M23. Drivers pick their up speed to position themselves to merge. The road is down hill, which contributes to the faster speeds as well. And then there is sharp curve (for highway standards) to mix into the equation. This stretch of highway always needs a driver's full concentration. And this accident happened when the roads were dry today. Again, I feel for the family of the driver.
Messa
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 9:01 p.m.
Condolences to the family. Very sad.
Billy
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 8:29 p.m.
Wonder if it was merge related... I've had someone more than once nearly run me off the road as they merged onto SB23 from WB14 there. Doesn't matter if I was in the left or right lane...I've had incidents where they've almost hit me in both. I think it's partly the combination of the hill AND the curve. Regardless that is only an explanation...it is in no possible way to be construed as an excuse.
Ann English
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 11:40 p.m.
I regularly merge onto SB23 from WB14, but always use my right turn signals, so you and others on SB23 know my intentions, right up to Exit #4, where I get off. Most drivers on SB23 do not get off there, but it's the very next exit after the SB23 exit for us on WB14. I watch for you and other drivers on SB23 as I make my way to the far right lane.
Just Be Nice
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 8:04 p.m.
"As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, both lanes were closed on the road, according to dispatchers. There was no time frame immediately available for when the highway would reopen. The highway reopened about 3:35 p.m. Tuesday for normal traffic." This is a bit confusing. Maybe remove the second sentence? According to the last sentence in the paragraph the highway is now open.
A
Wed, Jul 17, 2013 : 1:19 a.m.
Thank god I have my own site that I write for, if I had to listen to armchair journalists who have nothing better to do than re-write my stories for me, and then be forced to cordially answer each one of them I would go crazy. Kyle probably isn't allowed to tell you that so I'll do it for him lol.
Just Be Nice
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 8:21 p.m.
Thanks, Kyle!
Kyle Feldscher
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 8:08 p.m.
Just Be Nice - The highway is now open. I wanted to keep that first sentence in there to show it was closed at one point. I'll work on clearing it up.
Paula Gardner
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 7:41 p.m.
Thanks for the feedback on the photo. Reader reaction to previous crash photos helped us with that.
A
Wed, Jul 17, 2013 : 1:12 a.m.
Tesla in a previous story they posted a picture of a car with distinct unique features on it such as bumper stickers and specific body damage. Also I am the only person in the county (that I have seen so far) who even has the make and model of my car, let alone the color. If they reported even the make model and color my family would instantly know it was me. Finding out your family died from a news article after reading all the gory details first is just messed up, this site learned from their mistakes on previous stories let it go. Also, of course they are about their readership and advertisers, but most of the readership was offended because they didn't want to read about their relatives car if they were in an accident. Use your head.
Paula Gardner
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 11:05 p.m.
BTW, if anyone wants to continue the discussion of photos - and whether the public is less informed by not seeing an image of the crash scene immediately after a fatality - I'm at paulagardner@annarbor.com
Tesla
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 10:14 p.m.
Lets be clear. Your concern is not making the majority of your advertisers or readership upset. Period. First of all I highly doubt anyone whos just lost a family member is going to be on here, and if they didn't know yet, assuming someone could draw a conclusion that thats my family members vehicle scattered all over the road is preposterous. Honestly though your policy (current as it is) fits the sites motif just perfectly. It's either this or a story about a new clothing store or bagel shop.
Paula Gardner
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 9:57 p.m.
Our concern is for the family right afterward - they should not be curious about a headline that says there's been a fatal crash and open the file to find out a loved one died. That's the immediate aftermath part. We expect police, in most cases, to be informing family members in the first hours after a crash (but also know that's not always possible). Every situation will be different, but for the most part: we do not expect to publish reports of a fatality and a photo of the vehicle right after a crash.
Tesla
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 9:39 p.m.
I don't understand your emotional policy. Wouldn't the family members actually be even more curious as the readership is to see the accident scene? I don't need to see it necessarily but to not publish the phto because you're affraid of insulting the family is ludicrous. They've just lost a family member. I hardly think a photo is going to be insulting. I think it would be "Informative" And thats your job isn't it? To inform?
Paula Gardner
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 9:27 p.m.
Yes, our concern is for the family in the immediate aftermath of a crash. There may be times when additional photos are used in later coverage.
Allison
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 9:17 p.m.
I realize I do not know the cause of this accident, but if seeing a photo of the car might serve as a wake up call to people to observe the speed limit, put down the phone, etc. I have no issue with photos of the vehicle being posted (as a previous poster said, once the family has been notified.)
jcj
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 8:53 p.m.
Good call to not publish photos.
Cindy Heflin
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 8:44 p.m.
Thanks for that feedback Billy. We've actually gotten some criticism for that as well.
Billy
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 8:31 p.m.
I DO however think you should publish photos of the accidents AFTER family has been notified...in the interest of fair and honest journalism.
Kyle Feldscher
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 7:39 p.m.
Sgt. Mark Thompson from the Michigan State Police said more information might be available about 4 p.m. on this crash.
Hazel411
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 7:30 p.m.
I drove by shortly after the crash and it was terrible, definitely the worst accident site I've come across. By the way, thank you for not publishing a photo of the vehicle. Prayers to the family and friends of the victim.
Unknown
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 7:29 p.m.
This stretch of road is so dangerous. Prayers for the victim and their family
KateT
Tue, Jul 16, 2013 : 9:26 p.m.
I agree. I just don't merge on the freeway there.