A pair of traffic accidents in St. Joseph County last weekend resulted in the transport of six individuals to area hospitals, according to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department.

Ice sends car into parked semi-truck in Sturgis Township

A driver of a black passenger car was northbound on M66 near Bogen Road in Sturgis Township Friday, February 18 when they hit a patch of ice and lost control of their vehicle, traveling off the roadway before rear-ending a parked semi-truck and trailer.

The semi, which was unoccupied, was in the process of being hooked up to a wrecker by a tow truck driver at the time of the crash. The tow truck driver was uninjured, while the driver of the passenger car, later identified as 38-year-old Dustin Garn of Sturgis, was transported to Bronson Hospital for injuries sustained in the crash.

Alcohol and drugs were not factors in the crash but speed is believed to have been, and Garn was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision. 

Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Sturgis Police Department, Tri-Township Fire Department, and Chuck’s Towing. 

Three Rivers man fails to yield right of way, strikes SUV in Fabius Township

The driver of a silver passenger car, 27-year-old Jeremiah Valencourt of Three Rivers, failed to yield the right of way at the northbound stop sign on Al Jones Road and M60 Saturday when he struck a black SUV traveling westbound on M60.

The collision caused the driver of the SUV to lose control and travel off the roadway. The driver, 57-year-old John Schmidt of Osceola, Indiana, along with his four passengers were transported to Three Rivers Health where they were treated for minor injuries and released. Valencourt was uninjured.

Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Three Rivers Police Department, Fabius Park Fire Department, Three Rivers Fire and Ambulance, and Broker’s Towing.

Alek Haak-Frost is executive editor of Watershed Voice.