KENT COUNTY, Mich. -- Michigan State Police have identified the woman killed in a crash Tuesday in Bowne Township as 66-year-old Linda Simons of Nashville, Mich.
Simons' granddaughter Shennondoah Mischler told FOX 17 News Wednesday family meant everything to her grandma.
"We were really close I told her things, she was a best friend I confided in her a lot of things that people don’t tell their grandparents," she said.
The crash happened on M-50 (92nd Street) near Freeport Avenue just before 3:30 p.m. Police say Simons was traveling east when a witness said she struck a mailbox on the right side of the road, lost control, then left the road striking a tree stump.
Also in the vehicle were her three grandsons, two 13-year-olds and a 10 year old. One of them was pinned in the vehicle. He was transported to the hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.
The other two children were treated at the scene.
Family says the 10-year-old helped keep the 13-year-old who was pinned in calm until help arrived. They say all three are very strong boys and they want to thank the woman who stopped to help until first responders arrived.
"I know with Linda its better that if something would have happened to one of those kids instead of her in the car. I don’t think she could have ever lived with it," said family friend Ron James.
Police say everyone in the vehicle was wearing seatbelts and they are still looking into what caused her to lose control.
The Michigan State Police are waiting on autopsy results to see if a medical issue played a role in the incident.
