KENT COUNTY, Mich. –A serious crash along US-131 near Byron Township sent five people to the hospital Monday, including three children.
The three-vehicle crash happened around 2:30 p.m. in the northbound lane of US 131 just south of 100th Street. Kent County deputies say a semi-truck slowed down due to another accident a few minutes prior when a minvan rear ended it.
There were eight people in the van, including six children with ages ranging from 6 months to 10 years old. The two adults in the front seat were taken to the hospital with critical injuries, and three children were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Debra Hennip from Wayland was on her way to a doctor appointment when she drove by the accident. She told FOX 17 that she saw the oldest child run out of the car and try to open the doors in the front.
When she saw that, Hennip says, as a mother herself she knew she had to stop. “We were all meant to be there.”
Hennip has a five-year-old son, and one of the victims was a five-year-old boy. “They say he was the most distraught,” she said.
Hennip She says she will never forget what she saw, but she will never regret stopping to help. Other people stopped to comfort the kids until officials arrived.
“I still don’t think I really processed it yet; well I don’t want to do it again, I don’t want to see it again.”
Deputies say they believe the family is from the Kalamazoo area. Their current conditions were unknown as of Monday night.
