2-car crash sends 5 people to the hospital

SAGINAW COUNTY The accident happened around 1 Saturday afternoon at the intersection of M-52 and Swan Creek Road, in Swan Creek Township.

Police told reporters a black truck was driving north on M-52, when a blue van driving south tried to make a left turn in front of the truck. The sheriff's office reports there were open intoxicants in the blue van, adding alcohol was a factor.

Police also told ABC12 that the minivan driver was at fault.

Accident re-constructionists spent hours investigating.

There were four people in the van. Two of the people were thrown from the van upon impact. Two others were trapped inside and rescue crews had to get them out.

Police identify the driver of the minivan as 30-year-old Craig Tippett, of St. Charles. His passengers were 36-year-old Joel Rondo, 29-year-old Anthony Dreffs and 30-year-old Rodrick Boring.

Investigators don't believe any of the people in the van were wearing their seatbelts.

According to police, 64-year-old Alan Kern, of Bay City, was inside the black truck. The truck was not at fault in the accident.

All five people were hospitalized. They are expected to survive, despite their serious injuries. The five were taken to either Covenant HealthCare or St. Mary's of Michigan in Saginaw. The driver of the blue van had to be flown by helicopter to the hospital.

"The driver of the truck was probably the least injured," Saginaw County Sheriff's Office Sergeant Kevin Stevens said. "But the van occupants were either ejected from the vehicle or pinned in the vehicle, which is always a serious injury."

Nursing Student Abbey Wolinski was sitting on her back porch when she heard the crash. Wolinski immediately went down to the road to see if she could be of any assistance. She described the scene to reporters. "All I could see was .... A guy laying on the ground and beer cans. I immediately knew something wasn't right."

Also nearby was Chris Trudell, who spent more than three years as an Emergency Medical Technician in Florida. "With my training .... I'm supposed to take action."

Wolinski tended to Kern, while Trudell helped the men from the blue minivan.

Trudell told reporters the van was in bad condition after the crash. "The van was crushed. The door, sliding door .... Was basically pushed right off."

Stevens isn't taking the incident lightly. "We're measuring all the evidence and roadway characteristics that are located at the accident scene .... If we need to, we can reconstruct it later for court purposes."

Those who helped are relieved everyone will survive. "It's just a natural instinct for me. You see someone hurt, you just want to help them," Wolinski said.

The intersection was partially closed to drivers for nearly three hours while reconstruction crews investigated, but has since re-opened.

No word has been released on what charges could be filed.