30-year-old male rescued at scene and still in hospital
A Clinton Township man was seriously injured in a broadside collision on M-53 and Armstrong Road on Wednesday, June 21.
GOODLAND TWP. — A 30 year-old Clinton Township man was seriously injured in a traffic crash at the intersection of M-53 and Armstrong Road last Wednesday morning, June 21.
Lapeer County Sheriff Detective/Sgt. Jason Parks reports that Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched at 8:05 a.m. on a report that individuals were trapped within a vehicle that was leaking fuel.
The Clinton Twp. resident was traveling north on M-53 in a 2011 Ford Ranger and turned left onto Armstrong Road within the path of a southbound 2020 Ford F-250 pickup truck that was towing a boat. The driver, 59 year-old fishing pro Alton Jones from Lorena, Texas was at the wheel.
Parks says the pickup trucks stayed together after the broadside collision and then left the southwest quadrant of the intersection. The 2011 Ford Ranger overturned and came to rest on the driver’s side, with the Ford F-250 positioned partially on top of it.
A motorist passing by stopped to free the 30-year-old male from the rolled over Ford Ranger before emergency services arrived, Parks adds.
“The male was not conscious and the fuel leakage compounded with a smoldering engine were present,” he says.
The 30-year-old was transferred to McLaren Lapeer Region by Lapeer County EMS. He remains hospitalized with life threatening injuries.
Jones and his passenger—his 56-year-old wife—were not injured, and declined medical treatment at the scene.
Parks says the roadway was closed for about 2 hours for rescue, investigation and vehicle removal.
The Lapeer County Sheriff deputies were assisted at the scene by the Goodland Twp. Fire Department, Lapeer County EMS and Michigan State Police—Lapeer Post.
“A preliminary investigation does not suggest that either alcohol or excessive speeds are contributing factors,” Parks says. “This crash remains under investigation by Lapeer County Sheriff’s deputies.”
According to majorleaguefishing.com, Jones and his wife were driving from Saginaw Bay, where he was practicing for a 2023 Bass Pro General Tire Stage Seven tournament presented by John Deere Utility Vehicles slated for August, heading toward the Detroit Area for the Stage Six event on Lake St. Clair. The report stated that Jones’s vehicle was totaled and his boat “severely damaged at best.”
