Driver avoids deer, rear-ended, dies

BELMONT, Mich. (WOOD) - A woman died and another was injured in a chain-reaction crash after a deer ran across a Kent County highway.

Anneke Jacoba Marek from Stanwood was traveling south on U.S. 131 south of Post Drive near Belmont around 9:30 a.m. Monday, the Kent County Sheriff's Department said.

She saw the deer in front of her and put the brakes on her 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue. She slowed considerably, possibly even stopped on the highway.

A Chrysler Pacifica, traveling about 70 mph and driven by Gary Rende of Walloon Lake, rear-ended the Intrigue.

The Intrigue went off the road and the Pacifica stopped in the road.

Marek died at the scene. She was 32.

Rende, 70, was not hurt. But his passenger, 66-year-old Barbara Rende, suffered multiple injuries and is expected to recover.

Everybody wore their seat belts at the time of the collision.

The deer continued to run toward the northbound lanes of traffic where it was hit and killed by an oncoming vehicle. Nobody in this vehicle was hurt.

The road was re-opened around 12:15 p.m.