Atlas Twp.- The cause of an early morning head-on collision along M-15 just north of Cooliedge Road that killed a 53-year-old township man and seriously injured a 51-year-old Forest Township woman remains under investigation say police.
At about 7 a.m., Jan. 5, Gary Morea, 53, was northbound in a van when it collided with a southbound Ford pickup truck driven by the Forest Township woman. Firefighters from Atlas Township and Brandon, along with Michigan State Police responded to the accident. The woman, who was transported to Genesys Regional Medical Center with serious injuries, was extricated from the truck said Lt. Russ Sorensen of the Genesee County Sheriff Department.
‘It does not appear that excessive speed was the cause of the crash and both were wearing seatbelts,? said Sorensen. No tickets were issued so far, however, following the investigation the prosecutor will review the accident.?
‘Morea lived about an eighth of a mile from where the accident occurred. The woman was on her way to work that morning. Road conditions were good and the weather clear.?
The impact from the collision scattered debris over a wide area of M-15 which was closed for about three hours following the crash.
Township resident Dan Darling who lived along M-1 5 near the crash site said he was just getting out of bed when he heard a loud bang and rushed outside to see what happened.
‘It was dark that early but from what I could see the cloud of smoke from my window through the headlights of other cars,? said Darling. Soon after the crash a driver stop and checked the man–he did not respond. The lady in the pickup truck responded and was talking to other drivers who had stopped to help.?