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A crash in northern Michigan killed three people, left one high school golfer in critical condition and two in serious conditions last Tuesday. Authorities said that a teammate and their coach were killed along with a passenger in the other van in the accident that is still being investigated by authorities. A group of Grayling High School golf team members were en route to a golf tournament last Monday when their van, which was heading northbound, struck an eastbound van on a rural road in Kalkaska County, about 25 miles east of Traverse City. Michigan State Police stated that the incident killed high school golf player Louis Menard, an 18-year-old; golf coach Jason Potter, 28-years-old; and a passenger from the eastbound van, Cassandra Stapleton, 27-years-old. Reports stated that the other teammates were seriously injured. Tyler Summers was in critical condition at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City and Jacob Hinkle and Dallas Johnson were in serious condition at the hospital. It was later reported that Mason Krey and Gunner Metzer were in fair condition. Sgt. Don Bailey told reporters that investigators are working to identify what caused the collision. They will have to determine a few preliminary facts, including the speed of the vehicles and whether Potter stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of Crawford Lake Road and County Road 612. When medical respondents arrived to the scene, they saw that both vans had rolled after the crash. "It looked like they came together simultaneously. ... There's a reason why things happen. We're trying to figure out what it is," Bailey said. Menard wasn't wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the golf team's van. Rhonda Mitchell, 45-years-old, who was the driver of the other van, was in fair condition at Munson Medical Center. Her 3-year-old granddaughter also was in fair condition. Authorities are continuing to look into the situation but so far it seems that neither alcohol nor drugs were factors in the crash. Family members of the car accident victims are devastated by the accident. Those high school golf players that survived the incident will have to endure a long road of recovery. It is not known if they will be able to physically play golf again. About the author: Paul E. Lee is a car accident lawyer who cares about the community, its people and its safety.
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