Police: Man punches driver after crash in Ann Arbor
A 22-year-old man suffered a broken nose and a cut on his lip after another man punched him in the face after a traffic accident in Ann Arbor Wednesday, police said.
Ann Arbor police Lt. Renee Bush said the 22-year-old man was involved in a two-car traffic accident at South Main Street and Potter Avenue at 7:37 p.m. Wednesday. The man got out of his car, which rear ended the other vehicle, and went to check out the damage.
Bush said the 21-year-old man, who was a passenger in the other car involved in the crash, got out of that car and punched the 22-year-old in the face.
“It was a minor fender bender,” Bush said. “The damage was not catastrophic. Both vehicles could have driven away from the scene.”
The accident occurred during a traffic jam around the time of the University of Michigan basketball game Wednesday evening, Bush said.
The 22-year-old was transported to the University of Michigan Hospital’s emergency room to be treated for his injuries. One person in the vehicle that was rear ended suffered a small cut on the back of his head after hitting the rear window, Bush said.
No arrests have been made in the case to this point. Bush said the man who was punched in the face is not sure if he wants to prosecute at this point. The detective bureau is investigating.
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
jmac
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 8:25 p.m.
The game actually started at 7pm so most of the basketball-related traffic was gone by 7:37. Odd timing for a traffic jam in that area.
tinaln
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 6:41 p.m.
Sounds like a road rage reaction to me. I prosecution for that left up to the victim?
GoNavy
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 6:12 p.m.
Sounds like criminal charges will be imminent. Right, wrong or otherwise, you cannot physically attack another motorist after an accident. Bad move -
Paul
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 6:36 p.m.
Unless the dude agrees to pay his medical bills and other damages and the victim is "cool" with that. I'm not so sure I would go pressing charges right away, maybe it was a love one that got injured hitting their head on the back window and the jerk that punched him just lost it for a min cause he was very upset that other person in his car got hurt. That jerk who punched him is very lucky that guy wasn't carrying a hand gun and shot back in self defense.
George K
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 5:16 p.m.
Heartfelt condolences to the victim. There hopefully now I don't get censored.
Steve in MI
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 3:30 p.m.
"A 22-year-old man suffered a broken nose and a cut on his lip after another man punched him in the face" How long after the punch to the face was the 22-year-old man injured? It seems like that sort of thing would happen immediately.
ez12c
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 8:17 p.m.
You are all missing the point. He only "suffered" from the broken nose. He certainly didn't suffer before the punch. :-O
actionjackson
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 6:26 p.m.
E=mc2
Kyle Feldscher
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 6:23 p.m.
djm - I kind of want to start a discussion about when exactly a punch lands and when exactly injuries would occur (Would it be when contact is first made? Or would it be when the punch has reached completion after full extension?), but I feel like that would totally miss the point.
Dr. Fate
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 6:21 p.m.
The punch landed. Steve's joke was a miss, though.
djm12652
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 6:06 p.m.
Kyle, in boxing, most punches that land cause injury when they land....
djm12652
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 6:04 p.m.
I'd say the injuries did not happen after another man punched him in the face but at the time of the punch....you say potato I say road rage....was alcohol involved?
a2citizen
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 4:12 p.m.
Steve, There were no apparent injuries immediately after the man was punched. Based on prior experience, however, first responders felt it prudent to send the man to the hospital just in case his nose eventually became broke and his lip started bleeding. Seems as though they made the right call. This time, anyway.
CalmDown
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 4:04 p.m.
I imagine Steve's just trying to humorously point out that writing "WHEN another man punched him in the face" would have been better than "after"
Kyle Feldscher
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 3:49 p.m.
Well Steve, I think it's safe to assume the injury occurred immediately after he was punched in the face. I'm not a big boxing fan, but, as I understand it, punches are thrown, land and, after they land, cause injuries.
leaguebus
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 3:47 p.m.
Gee Steve, after I read the story, I understood that the effects of the punch were immediate. Why add the word immediately when it's not needed?
Billy
Thu, Jan 10, 2013 : 3:27 p.m.
Bet anything that one party was turning left on to Potter from Main, probably because they missed the left turn light at Stadium. However that is NOT the quick way to cut down to 7th. There are 2 stop signs you will hit on Potter. If you take Snyder there are ZERO stop signs on the way to 7th. Snyder is the only street between Stadium and Pauline that doesn't have a stop sign all the way down to 7th.