HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — A 40-year-old Coopersville woman went by ambulance to a hospital with what police say are non-life-threatening injuries after a car-semi-tractor-trailer crash Monday, Oct. 28, 2019.
A 49-year-old St. Joseph man was also taken to the hospital for evaluation of what police say are minor injuries.
Both drivers had been wearing seatbelts. Speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors, but the crash remains under investigation by Ottawa County Sheriff’s deputies.
The crash happened on US31 near Comstock Street in Grand Haven Township, according to Ottawa County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mike VanDenBosch.
The Coopersville woman, at the wheel of a 2010 Chevy Traverse, had been southbound on US31 and attempted to turn left onto east, onto Comstock Street. She had a yellow flashing left turn arrow at the intersection of northbound US31, and, while crossing US31’s northbound lanes, the semi, which had been northbound on US31, hit the Chevy.
The Freightliner tanker truck had been hauling liquid sugar, and had been traveling in the right lane, approaching a green traffic signal at Comstock.
The semi-tractor-trailer driver tried avoiding crashing into the Chevy by swerving to the right, but a crash did ensue. The impact flipped the semi onto its side, at which point the truck continued sliding north for some distance, at which point the tanker ruptured, and the liquid sugar leaked out.
Ottawa County’s HazMat Team was summoned to deal with the spill.
Northbound US31 remains closed at Comstock Street as of 1:30 p.m. for clean up, police said.
