GOLDEN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — The Oceana County Sheriff’s Department is investigating whether modifications to a dunes-racing jeep played a role in an accident that killed a West Michigan mom at Silver Lake Sand Dunes.
“It’s not for getting milk,” Sheriff Craig Mast said, referring to the customized jeep that caused the deadly collision late Sunday morning. “There’s a reason we don’t drive it to Meijer.”
Kadie Price, 33, died after the modified jeep accelerated rapidly on the dunes’ “drag strip” before doing a wheelie and veering out of control, according to Mast.
Kadie and her husband saw the jeep coming, Mast told News 8 Wednesday, and ran in opposite directions to try to avoid it. At the last second, Mast said, Kadie managed to push her 2-year-old daughter to safety.
Woman killed in sand dunes accident was mother of two, deputy’s wife
That’s when the red jeep, shown in a picture provided by the sheriff’s department, hit the Price’s yellow vehicle, causing it to hit Price and a motorcycle and pickup truck parked on the other side of her.
Mast brought up the jeep’s level of modification in an interview with News 8, noting that the vehicle was “very customized,” with racing fuel, a modified braking system and a five-point harness seat belt. If it’s determined that the level of customization contributed significantly to the accident, Mast said making those modifications may have constituted recklessness.
“Somebody made an obvious choice to modify that vehicle to improve its performance on the drag strip,” Mast commented. “This investigation deserves all of our due diligence and due process.”
He said investigators do not believe alcohol played a role in the crash, though they’re awaiting toxicology results on the jeep’s driver, a 64-year-old man whose name has not been released. Toxicology testing is standard procedure, and Mast said the driver is cooperating with the investigation.
The sheriff also noted that the dunes’ “test and tune” area, known as the “drag strip” has “very few” serious accidents given the number of people who visit it.
“That portion of the dunes is very popular,” said Mast, who could not recall a prior death at the drag strip location.
That’s not the case for other areas of the dunes, however.
“If we have no fatalities on the dunes in a season, that’s a great year,” Mast explained, noting that the dunes get 1.8 million to 2 million visitors yearly.
In 2021, the state banned drag racing at the dunes, prompting an outcry from the activity’s many devotees. State lawmakers passed a bill making it legal again and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed it.
The Department of Natural Resources, which operates the Silver Lake State Park where the dunes are located, said it will conduct a review of the accident.
Mother killed in dune crash was first-of-its-kind case, DNR says
There are no barriers between the drag strip and spectators, but there are multiple rules and regulations designed for safety.
Among them: Vehicles riding the dunes must display an ORV license, an ORV trail permit, and a recreation passport. They also must display an orange, rectangular safety flag (10-foot in height at standstill and 8-foot in motion) that is bolted, welded, or secured to the vehicle. Drivers must possess a valid and unrestricted driver’s license, but 12-year-olds with an ORV safety certificate can operate a 4-wheel ATV or a 2-wheel bike under adult supervision.
The state also requires that vehicles have lights, individual seat belts and roll-over protection, and drivers must wear eye protection, helmets, and protective gear, among other regulations.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel
