14 DAY TRIAL // A van transporting a high-school golf team collided with a second vehicle on Monday, April 29, leaving three people dead and seven injured.
“As many of you know, our local Grayling Golf team was involved in a terrible car accident today on their way to a golf meet in Kalkaska County.
“Six players and the coach were injured,” a Facebook post on the “Community Vigil For The Grayling Golf Team” page reads.
According to the Advisor & Source, the vehicles crashed on the corner of County Road 612 and Crawford Lake Road in Excelsior Township, Michigan at 11:25 a.m.
“The preliminary investigation shows that a white Ford Windstar van was eastbound on County Road 612.
“A silver Ford Freestar van was northbound on Crawford Lake Road NE, approaching the intersection and stop sign at County Road 612.
“Six members of the Grayling High School golf team and their coach occupied this vehicle,” a spokesperson for the Michigan State Police reports.
Both vehicles capsized upon impact, with the golfers' van doing a roll before coming to a halt.
“The silver van appears to have rolled at least once before landing upright, while the white van rolled several times before coming to rest upright,” the MSP rep says.
Police have released no information on whether one or both drivers were speeding.
“At this time, it is unknown for certain if speed limits and/or traffic control devices were observed,” the spokesperson adds.
The coach driving the golf team's van was killed, as well as one of the students he was transporting.
The driver has been identified as 28-year-old coach Jason Potter while the student is 18-year-old golf player Louis Menard.
The third casualty of the accident was a passenger of the second vehicle. 27-year-old Cassandra Stapleton of Kalkaska was traveling with her mother, 45-year-old driver Rhonda Mitchell and her daughter.
The other passengers have been transported to Munson Medical Center. Two of the survivors are in critical condition, while two others have sustained serious injuries.