Two fatal wrong-way crashes on one-mile stretch of I-196

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Two fatal wrong-way crashes happened within two weeks along the same one-mile stretch of I-196 west of Grand Rapids. While the collisions occurred in close proximity and both involved wrong-way drivers, the similarities ended there, according to Michigan State Police. Wednesday night’s crash happened in the westbound lanes of I-196 just west of Lake Michigan Drive, while the June 19 collision happened in the eastbound lanes near Lane Avenue. Around 8 p.m. Wednesday, an SUV carrying four people was eastbound on I-196 when the driver crossed the median just west of Lake Michigan Drive and slammed head-on into a westbound vehicle carrying a man, woman, and child. “I don’t want to speculate,” said Lt. Pat Agema of the Michigan State Police, “but you would think either impaired driving or distracted driving. They went across a median that is probably almost 50 to 75 yards long before they went into the traffic. Something else occurred with that incident last night.” State Police said the at-fault driver, a 23-year-old man from the St Joseph area, was critically injured as was one of his passengers. An additional passenger in the at-fault vehicle was killed. In the westbound car that was hit, a 47-year-old female passenger was critically hurt. The driver of the westbound vehicle — a 49-year-old man — was not injured; neither was the 7-year-old child. On June 19, a 36-year-old Grand Rapids man was driving west in the eastbound lanes of I-196 near Lane Avenue when he crashed head-on into an eastbound vehicle driven by 39-year-old Jessica Schmock, a mom from Jenison. Both drivers died. State police do not know where nor why the 36-year-old driver entered the highway the wrong way. His driving record shows he had a 2016 conviction for operating while intoxicated.