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A four-vehicle accident over the weekend left one person dead, others injured and a large amount of fuel leaking in the Sturgeon River area.
The accident happened Saturday morning around 10:00 on US41 near the Sturgeon River Bridge, about one mile south of Chassell.
The Houghton County Sheriff’s Office says a semi-tractor trailer hauling diesel fuel and gasoline from Green Bay was heading northbound on US41 when a Toyota RAV SUV driven by 40-year-old Jennifer Jennings-Shaud of L’Anse tried to pass the semi.
She then lost control of her vehicle on the ice covered road and struck an oncoming Honda CRV head on. The Honda, driven by 45-year-old Christine Juntunen of Hubbell, was pushed into the northbound lane and into the path of the fuel truck, which struck the driver’s side. Juntunen was pronounced dead at the scene.
Another southbound vehicle, an Audi driven by 40-year-old Eric Trapp of Hancock with 43-year-old Amanda Galetto of Hancock and her 12-year-old son as passengers, was struck in the accident as well. None of the occupants were injured.
Jennings-Shaud and her 9-year old son, who was in the vehicle with her, were treated at the scene by Chassell Township First Responders then taken to U.P. Health System—Portage by Mercy Ambulance. The mother was then taken to U.P. Health System—Marquette for further treatment.
The driver of the fuel truck, 50-year-old David Hooper of Green Bay, was uninjured.
Due to a large fuel spill from the tanker truck, a large response was required at the scene by several agencies.
Assisting at the scene were the Chassell Fire Department and First Responders, Hurontown Fire Department using the Jaws of Life, Calumet Township Fire and Rescue for fuel containment, Ironwood Public Safety Fire and Rescue containment unit, Mercy Ambulance, Lake Linden Police Department accident investigator, Michigan State Police Motor Carrier Unit from Iron Mountain, U.S. Coast Guard containment unit, Houghton County Emergency Measures, Superior Service Wrecker, Gregg’s Wrecker Service from Ironwood, Michigan Department of Transportation, U.S. Environmental Agency, Michigan DEQ and several volunteers.
An environmental clean up team from Calumet/Brian Bonen Construction, DP Construction and another clean up team from Bark River are cleaning up the scene.
