Michigan State Police said an elderly female rolled the pickup truck she was driving into the ditch on the northbound side of M-40 at 124th Avenue (M-89) after losing control of her vehicle.
The crash happened Thursday, May 31, about 8:30 p.m. Police said no other cars were involved but released no further information Friday afternoon while the accident report was still being prepared.
A member of nearby Corner Bible Church said he and about a half-dozen others in a men’s Bible study group rushed out to help the driver.
The man, who requested anonymity, said he and a friend were able to break out the rear cab window enough for him to crawl inside and assist the woman who was in pain but not critically injured.
Police at the Wayland Post confirmed the driver was at fault for the crash and was hospitalized. Northbound M-40 was temporarily closed while first responders were on scene.
Police were unaware of the driver’s current condition. Police did not release her name but confirmed she lived in the area near the crash.
The man helping the driver said he and others heard screeching tires and ran outside to see the wheels on the truck still spinning.
“I called 911 as I hopped the fence of the church’s playground to get over there,” he said. “My first thought, seeing it rolled over in the ditch like that, was ‘There’s no way that’s not serious.’”
He said once inside the cab he was able to free her arm, cutting the seatbelt she was wearing with a pocket knife.
“After that, she seemed relieved,” he said, though she was still stuck in an awkward position on top of the driver’s side door. The window was broken, so she was lying in the mud of the ditch.
He said he was thankful emergency crews arrived quickly.
Contact Ryan Lewis at rmlewis@allegannews.com or (269) 673-5534.
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