Alcohol a factor in New Year’s Eve crash.

Alcohol a factor in New Year’s Eve crash.

SHERMAN TOWNSHIP — Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole said alcohol is believed to have been a factor in the crash that caused serious injury to two Chicago area residents Monday afternoon, Dec. 31, 2018. The crash, as reported Monday by MCP, occurred about 1:26 p.m. on Custer Road just north of Millerton Road.

A 2012 Ford F-150 was northbound on Custer Road when it apparently crossed the centerline and left the road, rolled and landed in a ditch, striking a tree, pinning the passenger, a 58-year-old Chicago man. The driver, a 54-year-old Prospect Heights, Ill. man, was found unconscious at the scene. The crash was reported by the truck’s onboard computer system, which contacted Mason-Oceana 911. Personnel from Fountain Area Fire Department and Free Soil/Meade Fire Department used rescue equipment to extricate the passenger.

Road conditions were icy at the time of the crash. Dep. Mike Fort said on the scene that the men appeared to be on a fishing trip because they were wearing fishing gear. One of the men told responders that they were from Poland.

“Both individuals sustained serious injuries in the crash,” Sheriff Cole said. The driver was transported by ambulance to Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital and then transferred to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids. The passenger was transported to Munson Healthcare Manistee Hospital and then transferred to Munson Healthcare Traverse City Hospital.

Cole said both occupants were wearing safety belts. The crash remains under investigation.

In addition to the sheriff’s office and the fire departments, the Michigan State Police and Life EMS also responded.

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