5 Dead, 3 Critical After Fiery Livingston County Crash
HOWELL (WWJ) - A horrific two-vehicle crash killed five people and critically injured three others along a rural Livingston County road Tuesday night.
An Oakland County probation agent was among those killed in the accident, at the intersection of M-59 (E. Highland Rd.) and Argentine Rd. in Oceola Township; that's north of I-96 and south of I-69, between Howell and Hartland.
Michigan State Police are investigating where alcohol may have played a role.
MSP Sgt. Mario Gonzales says a 22-year-old Fenton man, Matthew Carrier, ran a stop sign on Argentine, at the M-59 intersection, and crashed into another car.
One car overturned; the other caught fire.
Carrier, the driver allegedly responsible for the crash, underwent surgery at University of Michigan where he remains in critical condition, along with one of his passengers, 23-year-old Kyle Eugene Lixie. His other two passengers, 20-year-old Justin Andrew-Humberto Henderson, and 24-year-old Preston Wetzel, both of Fenton, were pronounced dead at the scene, Gonzales said.
The second driver, 39-year-old Albert Boswell of Oakland County, is also at U-M in critical condition. All of his passengers: 35-year-old Candice Lynn Dunn of Oakland County, who was in the front seat; Dunn's mother, 69-year-old Linda K. Hurley along with 73-year-old Jerome Tortomasi in the back seat, were killed.
Candace Dunn had just been honored that night as the Michigan Department of Corrections' 2017 Parole/Probation Agent of the Year.
MDOC officials say Dunn was on her way home from the banquet, where she received her award for her dedication to helping those under her supervision succeed and her commitment to improving her community, when she was killed.
"We are devastated by the loss of Agent Candice Dunn, whose passion for her work changed so many lives for the better," said MDOC Director Heidi Washington said, in a statement. "Her ambition and her drive to make Michigan a better and safer place will leave a lasting impact on our department."
Dunn's 12-year career with the department included work with the Eastern District Probation Office, Troy Probation Office and as a Drug Court Agent in Wayne County.
"Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues at this sad time," Washington said. "She will be greatly missed by all who knew her."
Gov. Rick Snyder issued a statement Wednesday regarding the recent deaths of three law-enforcement personnel, including Dunn, in Michigan:
"The past few days have been especially tough for our law enforcement community and I send my condolences on behalf of all Michiganders whom they have sworn to serve and protect. Whether they are patrolling a beat, maintaining order in a correctional facility, or helping returning citizens stay on the right path for a better future – we appreciate the work they do every day," the governor said.
Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to call the MSP Brighton Post at 810-227-1051.
