On Monday, April 6, 2026, at approximately 4:45 a.m., deputies from the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to mile marker 125 on northbound US-131 in Aetna Township for a significant three-vehicle crash.

Upon arrival, deputies were flagged down by three citizens who had stopped at the scene and were providing first aid to the drivers involved. Each of the vehicles involved in the crash was occupied only by its driver. Witnesses reported that one driver was pinned inside a vehicle and that multiple individuals were injured.

Following an initial investigation, deputies determined that a 46-year-old woman from Springfield (MI), who was driving a black Ford Explorer, had parked on the shoulder of the roadway when her vehicle was struck by a dark-colored Ford passenger car driven by a 33-year-old woman from Howard City.

After striking the Explorer, the passenger car came to rest in the roadway and was struck a second time by a silver Chevrolet Equinox driven by a 64-year-old man from Grand Haven. The Ford passenger car came to rest on its side on the left shoulder of the roadway.

The woman from Springfield and the man from Grand Haven both sustained serious injuries and were transported by Mecosta County Emergency Medical Services to Corewell Health Hospital in Big Rapids for treatment. The woman from Howard City sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported by Mecosta County Emergency Medical Services to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids.

At this time, alcohol and drugs are not believed to be factors in the crash. The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by Mecola Central Dispatch, Mecosta County Emergency Medical Services, the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Posse, Morley Area Fire Rescue, the Mecosta Township Fire Department, the Michigan Department of Transportation, Big Rapids Towing, Curries Towing, and the Ferris Department of Public Safety.

_{Release information courtesy of Mecosta County Sheriff's Office.}