One Injured in Truck Accident on US-2/41 in Gladstone, MI
Gladstone, MI — June 2, 2022, a 72-year-old woman was seriously injured in a crash with a tractor-trailer on U.S. Highway 2/41 in Gladstone.
According to reports the incident happened shortly before 7:50 p.m. along US-2/41 at Lake Bluff Road. Preliminary investigation suggests the victim was driving an SUV north on the highway when she attempted to turn left onto Lake Bluff. While turning the SUV entered the path of a southbound 18-wheeler and the two collided in the roadway.
The victim suffered serious injuries and was airlifted from the scene. No other injuries were reported.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Truck Accident on US-2/41 in Gladstone
I often mention the importance of keeping an open mind after a crash no matter what early reports say. Frankly I wouldn't be so wary of those if I hadn't seen police and the news omit crucial details so many times. There are instances where our independent experts look into a crash and only confirm what police originally thought, but we've also seen plenty of cases where their superior training and equipment turned up crucial information that would otherwise have been missed.
For instance, the crash in Gladstone sounds like the victim unfortunately turned into the path of a big rig. Maybe that's all there is to it, but before anyone blames distraction or bad timing what if other factors played a part? For instance, is there any trouble with visibility or sightlines in that area? Was there anything wrong or hazardous about the roads in the area? Were both drivers paying attention to their surroundings? How fast was the 18-wheeler traveling?

Anyone who didn't roll their eyes about the "open mind" part is probably rolling them now as I ask those questions, but the fact is a lot of possible contributing factors probably weren't considered at all. Police said someone turned in the way of the truck, concluded that caused the wreck, and probably won't give it another thought. Many readers may have done the same. I'm not saying they're wrong, just that lots of crashes aren't really as simple as such basic reports make them sound.
A more thorough investigation might just confirm what police said. However, both parties involved in the wreck deserve the benefit of the doubt until all the objective facts are in. If there are any questions about the "official" story then the victim may be better served by conducting her own investigation with the help of independent professionals. At the very least, they deserve to know that no stone was left unturned to bring them the truth.