Wife dies in car crash day after husband falls through ice while fishing, MI cops say
Authorities said “unspeakable tragedy” struck a Michigan family twice in just 24 hours.
A 66-year-old Livonia woman died in a car crash Dec. 27 “almost 24 hours to the minute” after her husband fell through ice while fishing with their grandson, according to a news release from Oakland County Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard.
Investigators said the woman was a back seat passenger in a Jeep that was struck by a 19-year-old driver who crossed the center line “for an unknown reason.”
Authorities said they believe the woman was on her way to pick up her husband’s vehicle at the time of the accident. She was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff said.
Two other occupants of the Jeep were taken to a hospital, one in stable condition and the other in critical condition, authorities said.
The 19-year-old man was flown to a hospital, and his condition is listed as stable, according to authorities.
Ice fishing accident
The day before the fatal car crash, the woman’s 66-year-old husband took their 15-year-old grandson fishing on Lake George in Addison Township.
The ice broke as they were drilling a hole, and the pair fell in, authorities said. The man’s grandson called 911 while a neighbor who witnessed the incident kayaked out to help rescue them, according to the sheriff.
The neighbor was able to pull the 15-year-old out of the water but could not pull the man out, instead keeping his head above the water until emergency responders arrived, Bouchard said.
The grandson was treated at the scene and released, and the grandfather was listed in critical condition as of Dec. 29, according to the sheriff.
“This is an unspeakable tragedy that has befallen this family in a very short time,” Bouchard said in the release. “Our prayers are with the family.”
The names of the husband and wife were not released.
Livonia is about a 20-mile drive northwest from Detroit.
This story was originally published December 30, 2024 at 9:25 AM with the headline "Wife dies in car crash day after husband falls through ice while fishing, MI cops say."
