ATV accident in Sumpter Township leaves five hurt

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
Michelle Reaume, 23, decided to take one last ride on her ATV just after midnight on Sunday (April 28) during a get-together she hosted around a bonfire at her home in the 22000 block of Haggerty in Sumpter Township.
She was driving an estimated 45 mph when she said she lost control of her four-wheeler when she went around a tree to head back to the gathering.
The ATV plowed into a pink tent with four little girls sleeping inside and then flipped and struck adults who were sitting in chairs by the bonfire.
The result was chaos, in the words of Sumpter Township Detective John Toth, saying he has never seen an accident scene like this one.
Besides Sumpter Police and Fire Fighters, Van Buren Township Fire Fighters were on the scene and Lt. Dockter from Huron Township. Det. Toth said he lost track of how many ambulances were there, since so many victims had to be transported.
Toth said Reaume said the throttle stuck on the ATV and she couldn’t control it.
“Apparently, the throttle had stuck before,” Det. Toth said.
He said the tent was full of 10- and 11-year-old girls. Three of them were rushed to the University of Michigan’s Mott Children’s Hospital. One suffered minor head injuries, another had serious injuries to her spleen, and the third girl suffered severe head injuries and will have to undergo surgery to get a metal plate in her head.
One woman suffered a fractured knee. Reaume, the driver, was not injured.
Det. Toth said alcohol was present at the party, which was on private property. She was driving an off-road vehicle, which has different rules than road vehicles.
He said alcohol is not considered a contributing factor, but police are investigating and plan to submit a report to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for a final review of the incident.
Det. Toth said police took several photos of the ATV and its linkages, but, “I’m not a mechanic and we have to rely on the story told us.”
He said she was returning to where the campfire was located and the throttle stuck open.
“She didn’t know how to maneuver it into a safe place,” Det. Toth said.
A family member apparently called the Channel 2 TV News crew which recorded Reaume’s tearful statements for a Monday night newscast.
“I learned how to drive on a four-wheeler,” Reaume said. “I’ve been riding four-wheelers my whole life.
“I couldn’t do anything about it. I immediately wheelied and I couldn’t turn. I couldn’t brake,” she told the camera.
“I just couldn’t do anything. It all happened so fast and as soon as it happened, I just got up and I ran. My adrenaline was running and I just called 911,” Reaume said.
“I feel awful. I feel like it’s my fault,” Reaume said on Channel 2.
Toth said he had been advised Tuesday that Channel 4 News would be sending a crew over to cover the story, as well.