Thursday, October 29, 2009

Woman killed after homemade trailer hits SUV near Rockford






By Barton Deiters | The Grand Rapids Press

October 28, 2009, 12:37PM

Update: Hitch pin likely came loose, causing fatal trailer-SUV crash, police said


COURTLAND TOWNSHIP -- A woman is dead after a homemade trailer hauled behind a van came unhinged on 10 Mile Road NE and flew through the windshield of an oncoming SUV.

The crash occurred just before 9:30 a.m. as the van was traveling east on 10 Mile Road near Brower Lake Road. Police said the trailer-hauling mechanism fell apart and the makeshift trailer flew over the top of a vehicle following and into the windshield of the westbound Mercury SUV, instantly killing the female driver, believed to be in her 40s, according to Kent County Sheriff's Deputy Steve Dabkowski.

A female passenger in the SUV was sent to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital with minor injuries, according to police. The van driver was not injured.

Police have not identified those involved and 10 Mile Road remained close for more than three hours after the crash.

E-mail Barton Deiters: bdeiters@grpress.com


Comments

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ronmelancon
Posted by ronmelancon
October 28, 2009, 7:04PM

Please.,,, Please,,,, this is just horrific..!!! Go to Our organization has been addressing the to dangeroustrailers.org... lack of any standards on these trailers for 7 years. This accident did not have to happen!!!

The person who was towing a trailer that is obvious to any person as totally not worthy for the road.

The sad thing is the Sheriff department has nothing to charge him with except with a fine of under $100.00 and un secured load.

Your state has no inspections... no training on how to tow.... You do not even address "How to Tow" in your DMV manual.

In Ohio last month alone... a women was struck at her mail box by a LOOSE TRAILER...

A Father lost his life in Ohio by a loose trailer....it did not have a license plate and the driver did not stop...NOBODY KNOWS WHO KILLED HIM...

why?? IT IS THE powerful Utility Trailer industry that has stop any efforts to improve this class of vehicle.

This life did not have to end this way!!!!!!! "Random Victim Of Negligence"

We were just published as a letter to the editor in Texas..

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ronmelancon
Posted by ronmelancon
October 28, 2009, 7:04PM

Think about it....

Since 1975 15,211 lives have been lost by "Passenger Cars That Tow Trailers"

Since 1988 over 732,003 things like cars...vans,,and trailers destroyed..

Since 1988 over 435,154 people have been injured...

and we do nothing?

I find this unacceptable....

The van's driver is at fault... look at the condition of the trailer...

no plate..

no safety chains...

and he does not care about anybody's life who is behind him.

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Grama7
Posted by Grama7
October 29, 2009, 6:28AM

If the van's driver has been doing this for awhile, he should have been aware of the laws governing the trailer safeties.

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