One person hospitalized in five-vehicle crash in Cass County

 

CASSOPOLIS COUNTY, Mich. -- The Cassopolis County Sherriff’s Office responded to the report of a five-vehicle collision that sent one person to the hospital at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Friday.

The crash involved three cars as well as two school buses on M-40 Highway, south of Brody Road in Cassopolis County.

The drivers of the initial collision were identified as 58-year-old Dean Miller and 31-year-old Keisha Sylvester, both Michigan residents. Miller was reportedly traveling South on M-40 and attempting to turn East onto Brody Road, but did not stop, and collided with Sylvester’s vehicle.

Following the initial collision, Sylvester’s vehicle was pushed into the northbound lane and collided with the side of a Marcellus School District bus, driven by 66-year-old Loretta Ramsbottom. This bus avoided further incident, while Sylvester’s car continued further into the northbound lane before being stopped by a head-on collision with Julie Hicks, a 60-year-old Michigan resident.

The final vehicle involved was another Marcellus School District bus, driven by 40-year-old Sarah Beurmann, reportedly could not slowdown in time to avoid colliding with Hick’s vehicle.

Sylvester had to be extracted from her vehicle by the Marcellus Fire Department following the incident, and was taken by ambulance to Bronson Kalamazoo for non-life-threatening injuries. 

No other drivers sustained injuries that required hospitalization, and no children on either school bus sustained injuries.

The sheriff’s office reports that they do not believe drugs or alcohol were involved in any of the collisions.