ALLENDALE, MI (WHTC) – Two pedestrians were injured after being struck by a van travelling down the road backwards Friday night in Allendale. Bryce Kuiper, a 21-year-old resident of Allendale, was at the McDonald’s on the 5000 block of Lake Michigan Drive in Allendale Friday night when he realized that the transmission in his van had malfunctioned and the van was only able to run in reverse.
For unknown reasons, Kuiper decided to drive his car in reverse on Commerce Road near 54th Avenue towards an area service station. The two pedestrians, involved in the accident, 57-year-old Matthew Baker and 44-year-old Linda York had just come from the same McDonald’s that Kuiper had visited and were walking northbound on the east side of Commerce Road.
They were both unaware that Kuiper’s van was approaching them. According to a statement from the Ottawa County Sheriff Department, Kuiper panicked when he noticed the van advancing on Baker and York and accidently hit the accelerator instead of the gas in the vehicle, causing the van to hit the two pedestrians at the same time.
At 9:16 PM, police responded to the scene of the accident. Baker and York were transported to Butterworth Hospital, where Baker is listed in serious condition and York is in stable condition. Kuiper was cited for careless driving for the incident.
