4 crashes reported over Labor Day weekend in Cass County

Published 5:28 pm Monday, September 6, 2010

Cass County deputies responded to four accidents over the Labor Day weekend:

• A Jones woman was airlifted to the hospital after an accident on Calvin Center Road Saturday.

Sheriff Joseph M. Underwood Jr. reports that his deputies handled a personal injury crash at the intersection of Calvin Center Road and Brownsville Street at 8:51 p.m.

Teri Chaffee, 57, of Jones, was traveling northbound on Calvin Center Road when she was struck by a vehicle driven by Carrie Auer, 53, of Dowagiac, who was traveling eastbound on Brownsville Street and failed to yield to the right-of-way.

Chaffee was transported to Borgess Lee Memorial for treatment of her injuries and then airlifted to Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo.

Seat belts were worn in the accident which remains under investigation at this time.

Penn Township Fire and Life Care Ambulance assisted deputies at the scene.

• Two Elkhart men escaped without serious injuries after the driver rolled his vehicle on U.S. 12 in Mason Township Sunday.

Underwood reports that at 3:13 p.m. his officers were dispatched to a single car roll over crash on U.S. 12 east of 5 Points Road in Mason Township.

Investigation at the scene revealed that the driver, Christopher Platt, 35, and his passenger, Jonathon Green, 28, were traveling east on U.S. 12 and as they were negotiating a curve. The left front tire blew out causing the driver to lose control and the car rolled over several times coming to rest on its top. Both Platt and Green were treated at the scene by emergency medical services and then released.

Porter Township Ambulance assisted the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. Seat belts were worn and alcohol was not a factor.

• Two Dowagiac teenagers were injured in a rollover in Silver Creek Township Sunday night.

Underwood reports that his deputies handled a personal injury crash on Middle Crossing Road just south of California Street in Silver Creek Township at 11:23 p.m.

The driver identified as 17-year-old Lauren Bishop of Dowagiac traveling south on Middle Crossing when she lost control of her vehicle on a curved portion of the roadway. She ran off the roadway, hit a ditch and overturned the vehicle several times.

Also in the vehicle was 16-year-old Hannah Bishop of Dowagiac. Both were transported to Borgess Lee Memorial for treatment of their injuries.

Seat belts were worn and alcohol was not a factor in the accident, which remains under investigation at this time.

Indian Lake Fire, Pokagon Tribal Police and Coloma Ambulance assisted deputies at the scene.

• Three people were injured in a two-vehicle crash in Calvin Township Sunday night.

Underwood reports that his deputies handled a personal injury crash at the intersection of Calvin Hill Street and Tharp Lake Road at 11:13 pm.

Phillip Karkiewicz, 40, from South Bend, was traveling southbound on Tharp Lake Road when he failed to yield to the right away. He struck a vehicle driven by Paul Canen III, 38, of Cassopolis, who was traveling westbound on Calvin Hill Street.

Karkiewicz and two passengers Conner Karkiewicz, 8, and Colin Karkiewicz, 11, were transported to Elkhart General for treatment of their injuries.

Seat belts were worn at the time of the accident and alcohol was not a factor. The accident is under investigation.

Penn Fire, Life Care and Edwardsburg Ambulance assisted deputies at the scene.