Crash in Cheboygan County leads to vehicle fire, serious injuries

Crash leaves one pet dog dead

MACKINAW TOWNSHIP — On Aug. 6 at 2:52 p.m. the Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Department responded to a car accident on U.S. 31 that left a vehicle a burnt shell after a tree fell on it after impact.

According to a report from the sheriff’s department, the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox was traveling north on US-31 on the on-ramp heading to merge onto North I-75 when it ran off the roadway to the left, striking a couple of large trees and coming to an uncontrolled rest.

A large tree fell on top of the vehicle, which then caught fire. The 83-year-old female driver from Drummond Island was able to exit the vehicle.

The 85-year-old passenger, also from Drummond Island, could not exit on his own and had to be removed from the vehicle with assistance while the vehicle was on fire.

“The male passenger could not get out of the vehicle on his own,” Sheriff Timothy Cook said. “He is fortunate another vehicle stopped and that person was able to pull him from the vehicle. The vehicle was fully engulfed a minute later.”

Both driver and passenger were taken by EMS to McLaren Northern Michigan Petoskey and admitted for treatment of serious injuries. Both of the vehicle’s occupants were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash, deputies said.

There were also two dogs in the vehicle at the time of the crash, with one of the dogs succumbing to injuries received as a result of the crash, deputies said.

The crash remains under investigation, according to the sheriff’s department.