At about 7:05 a.m. on Thursday, March 14, the Van Buren Township Public Safety Department and Huron Valley Ambulance were dispatched to Rawsonville Road, south of Martz Road reference a two-vehicle, head-on collision.
According to a news release by Van Buren Township Police Lt. Kenneth Floro, the preliminary investigation revealed that a blue 2006 BMW was traveling southbound on Rawsonville Road when it crossed the center line and drove into oncoming traffic.
After crossing the center line, the driver of the BMW continued to veer into traffic that was traveling northbound on Rawsonville Road. The BMW collided with a 2019 Hino box truck in the northbound lane of Rawsonville, according to the report.
The driver of the BWM was identified as Christopher Sibley, a 23-year-old Sumpter Township resident. Sibley was fatally injured in the accident and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The driver of the Hino box truck was identified as David Carpenter, a 61-year-old Ypsilanti resident. Carpenter was treated at the scene and transported to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital for evaluation. Carpenter was later released from the hospital with minor injuries, Lt. Floro reported.
The Van Buren Township Accident Investigation Team was called to the scene to conduct a follow-up investigation, collect data, and secure physical evidence. Rawsonville Road between Bemis and Martz was completely closed for several hours.
The accident remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Dale Harrison or Lt. Kenneth Floro at (734) 699-8930.
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