COLUMBIAVILLE, MI — A 65-year-old Columbiaville woman died Saturday morning after a two-vehicle crash at a busy Lapeer County intersection, according to sheriff’s deputies. The collision happened at N. Lapeer Road, also known as M-24, and Hickory Place Drive in Columbiaville.
Authorities said the woman was driving a 2012 Dodge Journey westbound on Hickory Place Drive when it entered the path of a northbound pickup truck on M-24. Her 42-year-old daughter, also from Columbiaville, was riding as a passenger.
Deputies say the crash happened just after 9 a.m. Friday
Lapeer County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the intersection at 9:11 a.m. on Oct. 3. The sheriff’s office said the crash involved two vehicles and left one person dead and another with injuries.
Investigators identified the driver as Lynn Goss of Columbiaville. The pickup was a 2008 Dodge 2500 series truck driven by a 36-year-old man from Fostoria, with a 34-year-old woman from Fostoria as a passenger.
Deputies said the road where the pickup was traveling has traffic that moves through the intersection without stop signs or other control devices. Preliminary findings indicate Goss stopped at the stop sign before entering the intersection.
Investigators say moisture may have affected the driver’s view
Authorities said there may have been moisture on the driver’s side windows of Goss’ vehicle. They have not said whether that condition was a contributing factor, only that it was noted in the early stage of the investigation.
Deputies said Goss pulled into the intersection and into the path of the northbound pickup. They described the collision as a broadside crash, meaning the vehicles struck each other side-on rather than head-on.
After impact, both vehicles came to rest in the northeast quadrant of the intersection, investigators said.
Deerfield Township crews used hydraulic tools to free occupants
Emergency responders from the Deerfield Township Fire Department arrived and used hydraulic tools to extricate the people trapped in the vehicles. Lapeer County EMS then took Goss’ daughter to McLaren Lapeer.
Officials said she was in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. Neither person in the pickup was hurt, according to deputies.
Crash response also included Deerfield Township Fire and Rescue, Michigan State Police at the Lapeer Post, the Lapeer County Reconstruction Team, the Metamora Township Police Drone Team and the Lapeer County Road Commission.
Lynn Goss was pronounced dead at the scene
Goss was pronounced dead at the crash site. The sheriff’s office said the case remains under investigation.
Investigators said neither alcohol nor excessive speed appears to have played a role. That finding came from the preliminary review, and deputies continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the collision.
The intersection where the crash happened is part of a heavily used road corridor in Columbiaville, and the investigation has focused on the sequence of events leading to the broadside impact.
Officials continue examining the roadway and vehicle sequence
The sheriff’s office has not announced any citations or further enforcement action. Instead, deputies and reconstruction specialists are still piecing together how the westbound SUV and northbound pickup reached the same point in the intersection.
With the broadside impact and the reported moisture on the vehicle windows, investigators are weighing roadway conditions, vehicle movement and visibility. The sheriff’s office said the crash remains an open investigation.
Anyone looking for additional details would have to wait for the findings from the ongoing review by Lapeer County authorities and their assisting agencies.