2 killed in 4-vehicle crash on M-46

CATO TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) - Authorities shut down M-46 in both directions in Cato Township in Montcalm County for several hours Sunday as they investigated a fatal crash involving four vehicles.

Dispatchers started receiving calls after 5 p.m. about the incident near Satterlee Road, which is just west of Lakeview High School.

Michigan State Police told 24 Hour News 8 that two of the vehicles collided head-on.

A Ford Ranger driven by a Lakeview man in his 30s was traveling westbound when it crossed the center line. A person who spoke with an eyewitness to the crash told 24 Hour News 8 the driver of the Ranger was taking the truck to an auto shop before the crash happened. The vehicle had mechanical issues and that is what caused the Ranger to cross the center line, the witness said.

The truck hit an eastbound Ford Flex, which was occupied by two women in the front seats and three girls in the back seats. The females from Shepherd were a set of twins, their mother, a family friend (the driver), and a niece of the twins. They were returning from Chicago after celebrating the 13th birthday of the twins.

The driver of the Ranger and the front-seat passenger of the Flex (the mother of the twins) died at the scene, police said.

The driver of the Flex was airlifted to a Grand Rapids hospital and is in critical condition. Two of the girls were taken to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids. The third girl was taken to a Montcalm County hospital.

A van, being driven by the wife of the Ranger's driver, was traveling behind the Ranger and collided with the Ranger and Flex. There were also three children in the van. None of the van's occupants were injured.

A vehicle traveling behind the Flex also collided at the scene. No one in that vehicle was hurt.