Investigation Continues into Downtown Houghton Crash

The investigation into a single-car crash Wednesday afternoon in downtown Houghton continues.

The Houghton Police Department reports that a vehicle driven by a 29-year-old Houghton man suffered a mechanical failure around 1:40 in the afternoon as it traveled north on Portage Street. The vehicle crossed Montezuma Avenue, entered the parking deck, smashed through a guard rail, struck the southeast corner of the UP Engineers and Architects building, then came to rest on its roof on Portage Street near Shelden Avenue, where it struck another vehicle. The second vehicle was unoccupied.

The driver was taken by Mercy Ambulance to UP Health System-Portage, treated for minor injuries, and released. His name has not been released.

Houghton city officials believe damage to the deck is minimal, but the area will remain cordoned off until a review can be completed, and the area cleaned up.

The Houghton County Sheriff’s Department, the Hancock Police Department, the Michigan State Police and the Houghton Fire Department assisted at the scene.