By Mark Constance
OGEMAW COUNTY – Police agencies from across the area responded to a complaint May 4 about a 41-year-old West Branch woman who allegedly drove through a crowd of people, injuring one after she tried to drive around a ramp placed in the center of an Ogemaw County ORV trailhead.
According to a Michigan State Police release, a Richfield Township Public Safety Officer requested troopers from the Houghton Lake Post respond to the accident and assist with crowd control for more than 100 upset bystanders gathering at the scene after the incident occurred.
The suspect said she was on her way home from work around 9 p.m. when she saw a ramp in the middle of the road. She asked bystanders to remove the ramp so she could pass through, but they refused.
She then attempted to drive around the ramp when a crowd formed in front of her, impeding her progress. The suspect told troopers she was not going to stop and planned to drive through the crowd. She then allegedly struck a 42-year-old Twin Lake woman, causing injury to her right leg. After the victim was hit, several bystanders stopped the suspect from proceeding.
Troopers were told by the victim the she heard yelling by the ramp, but that she was in a crowd of people and couldn’t see what was going on. She walked into the road and the suspect vehicle hit her.
Troopers, along with a drug recognition expert, conducted a roadside investigation to evaluate the suspect’s ability to drive. No indication of impaired driving was found at the scene.
The victim did not want to press charges. The police report was sent to Ogemaw County Prosecutor LaDonna Schultz for a review of charges.
Troopers were assisted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Roscommon County Sheriff Department and Richfield Township Department of Public Safety.
