OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department is investigating two separate crashes Thursday afternoon with one involving serious injuries.
The more serious of the two occurred at 3:52 p.m. Thursday. Both drivers — Ryan Freed and Mariann Puckett — were listed in serious condition after a head-on crash on Fruitport Road north of Hickory Street in Spring Lake Township.
The crash occurred after Freed dropped his cell phone and reached down to pick it up at the same time that Puckett, traveling in the opposite direction, was distracted by food. Both vehicles crossed the center line and hit head-on. Both drivers were pinned in their vehicles and fire rescue extricated them.
Both were wearing seat belts and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Freed was listed in serious condition at North Ottawa Community Hospital while Puckett was listed in serious condition at Mercy Hospital.
The second crash occurred at 3:15 p.m. Thursday when a driver tried to pass a semi and was hit by a turning vehicle in Allendale Township.
Joan Beumann was westbound on Fillmore while Kayla Kempenaar was southbound on 68th attempting to turn onto Fillmore. Beumann tried to pass a semi and crossed over the center line and was hit by Kempenaar’s vehicle on the passenger side of her car. Beumann’s vehicle rolled over into oncoming traffic and came to rest against a tree.
She was pinned inside and rescue units extricated her and transported her to Holland Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Both drivers were wearing seat belts. Kempenaar was not injured.
