Independence Township- A Saginaw youth was in critical condition and a Brandon Township woman was recovering from cardiac arrest after two serious traffic accidents marred area roads Nov. 4.
The first accident occurred around 2:45 a.m as the unlicensed 17-year old driver of a stolen vehicle carrying five other passengers lost control and caused the car to roll over as it veered off the roadway and into a ditch on northbound I-75 near Baldwin Road.
Oakland County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrived to the scene to find three of the youths waiting for help. A 15-year old male was ejected from the vehicle and was critically injured when the 1998 Ford Taurus flipped. None of the teens were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident.
All six were transported to Genesys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc, where the 15-year old male was listed in critical but stable condition.
The 17-year old driver, who was placed under arrest, said he fell asleep at the wheel. It is not known whether alcohol was a factor. Authorities are continuing the investigation.
The second accident occurred as a 27-year old Brandon Township man and his mother, 48, crashed into a utility pole on the return from a trip to 7-Eleven for morning coffee.
A clerk at the store called police to express concern about the man’s ability to drive, saying he had pulled out of the lot very slowly and stopped at a green light.
The accident occurred around 9 a.m. Saturday and involved no other vehicles.
The man was traveling on northbound Sashabaw near Pine Knob Road and lost control of his 1998 Chrysler Sebring Convertible as he attempted to round a bend, causing the car to veer off the road. The impact of the crash broke the wooden pole in two.
Witnesses called police when the duo fled the scene, and authorities quickly located the car at Sashabaw Meadows Trailer Park.
Deputies entered to find a woman bleeding from the face and neck area sitting on a couch with her son nearby.
The woman suffered cardiac arrest en route to the hospital, but she is expected to recover.
Both the man and his mother admitted to illegally using controlled substances before the accident Saturday, police said.
The accident remains under investigation.