Sole survivor in Prius involved in head-on crash that killed 5 has no memory of what happened, Green Oak Township police say
The sole survivor in a car that crossed the median on US-23 north of Ann Arbor and collided with an SUV on Oct. 10 has no recollection of the crash, police said this morning.
Green Oak Township police were hoping 18-year-old Humphrey Petersen-Jones, who remains hospitalized, could shed some light on the cause of the crash that killed five people that afternoon.
Petersen-Jones was a passenger in the 2002 Toyota Prius when it crossed from the northbound lanes about one mile north of Silver Lake Road into the southbound lanes at 3:29 p.m. on Oct. 10. The Prius slammed head-on into a Chevy Blazer with two adults and three children inside.
Killed in the crash were both drivers — Matthew Kolstoe, 18, of Okemos, who was driving the Pruis, and Cynthia Skutt, 62, of Fremont, Ohio, who was driving the Blazer. Heather Comstock, 19, of Okemos; and Sarina Seger, 18, of Williamston, riding in the Prius, were killed in the crash, as was Alfred King, 56, of Fremont, a passenger in the Blazer.
Petersen-Jones, a passenger in the Prius, and Dominic Cook, 10; Quentin Skutt, 4; and Meadow Skutt, 3, all passengers in the Blazer, were injured. The children were reported to be in good condition, police said.
Green Oak Township police said this morning in a press release that Petersen-Jones, who remains at the University of Michigan Hospital, has no recollection of the crash events.
"The lack of the passenger's memory is only one component of the overall investigation, which remains open," the press release said.
Last week, medical examiners said the autopsies found no evidence to indicate what might have caused the crash. Police are still awaiting toxicology reports.
No further details were released this morning.
Peterson-Jones has undergone at least 10 surgeries, the Lansing State Journal reported. His mother, Bryden Stanley, told the State Journal that Peterson-Jones at first didn't believe her when she told him about the accident.
The State Journal also has a video of Peterson-Jones talking about the accident and his recovery:
Comments
mfatl
Mon, Oct 25, 2010 : 9:10 p.m.
Scooterdog oftentimes in traumatic situations you really don't remember. I'm pretty sure the driver fell asleep and that will not be something they can prove, merely speculate.
nicole
Sat, Oct 23, 2010 : 9:36 a.m.
I am the mother of one of the children in the blazer... was hoping we would have closure to this horrible accident.. time will tell... and i am so glad for the recovery of the young man...
scooter dog
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 3:25 p.m.
I 'll bet for obvious reasons he was advised to say he doesent remember anything. Loose lips,sink ships. Just a thought. I hope I am wrong.
Veracity
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 2:36 a.m.
Assuming mechanical failure did not cause the accident driver error appears to be the most reasonable explanation as it is in most collisions. Toxicology reports for the driver will provide important information as well as any cell phone records that might show that the driver was conversing or texting at the time. Were the police able to estimate the speed of the Prius at the time of the collision and were skid marks present? Median barriers make sense and not just at the site of the accident.
ummsw
Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 7:49 p.m.
Very impressive young man, to be so articulate and thoughtful under such traumatic circumstances. My thoughts and prayers are with Humphrey and his family as they begin the journey of recovery.
Linda Peck
Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 2:04 p.m.
Blessings to you Humphrey Petersen-Jones! May you have a speedy and fast recovery! I know you will succeed!
Roadman
Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 12:57 p.m.
The lack of memory surrounding a traumatic event is asssociated with closed head injury. Memory impairment in general is likewise associated with traumatic brain injury. The fact he is conscious and able to speak is an excellent sign however there may be lingering effects of traumatic brain injry which may require years of rehabilitation. On the other hand, some TBI sufferers recover fully within a few months. We wish him luck!
Mark A.
Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 12:22 p.m.
For those not realizing the point. The kids that survived were not in the prius and would have no insight on why it crossed the median unless they saw something obvious like the driver texting, while the car hurlded at them. Peterson-Jones is like the blackbox in a plain crash that currently unfortunately is at least temporarily unrecoverable.
Cash
Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 10:12 a.m.
Loss of the most recent memories is a good thing. He needs to heal and it sounds as though that will be a life long process. His age should be on his side though. My prayers are with him, the children in the other car, and all of the families that lost their loved ones in this accident and all other accidents.
jeanarrett
Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 10 a.m.
More information at www.livingstondaily.com.
breadman
Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 8:13 a.m.
Bless to the sole survivor! (so called) What about the children. I know they are minors! But come on they are still living from the driver in the Prius.
greymom
Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 7:55 a.m.
Thakillabee- Thanks, totally didn't catch that Thanks.
Steve Pepple
Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 7:22 a.m.
An inappropriate comment and a response to it have been removed.
ThaKillaBee
Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 7:11 a.m.
@greymom... it says "Sole survivor in Prius," and the article goes on to mention the survivors of the other car. If that's not clear enough I'm not sure what else can be done. I do hope AA.com keeps us updated about this as any news develops. Such a tragic story, it would be nice to have some closure.
a2grateful
Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 7:03 a.m.
In this case, no memory could be a major blessing... Best wishes for recovery to the survivors... Condolences to all the surviving families...
greymom
Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 6:40 a.m.
I hope people realize he is NOT the sole survivor- there are three children in the other car that I believe are still with us.