Two Dead, Three Injured In Van Buren County Crash

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A 6-year-old girl and a 73-year-old woman are dead and three others are in critical condition following a two vehicle crash in Van Buren County on Saturday.

The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department tells us the crash happened shortly after 2:30 p.m. in the 60,000 block of Red Arrow Highway in Hartford Township. An off-duty patrol sergeant called in the crash and began helping those who were injured. First responders then arrived at the scene and took over.

Sheriff’s deputies believe a Chevy Equinox driven by a 23-year-old Benton Harbor man had been eastbound when it crossed the center line, hitting a westbound Jeep Grand Cherokee head-on.

The driver of the Cherokee, a 73-year-old woman, was dead at the scene.

A 6-year-old Coloma girl who was a passenger in the Equinox was taken to Spectrum Health Lakeland in Watervliet, where she died.

The driver of the Equinox was taken to Spectrum Health Lakeland in St. Joseph in critical condition, while a 1-year-old Benton Harbor boy who was also a passenger in the Equinox was taken to Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo in critical condition.

A 57-year-old Paw Paw woman who was a passenger in the Cherokee was taken to Bronson Hospital in critical condition.

The families have been notified, and the investigation continues. Alcohol is believed to have been a factor in the crash. Police say the investigation will be forwarded to the Van Buren County Prosecutor’s Office for review.