FLINT TOWNSHIP, MI—James Everett was helping clean up the parking lot Tuesday afternoon at the Citgo gas station along Ballenger Highway when he heard a loud crash.
Officers with the Flint Township police and fire departments responded shortly after 2 p.m. June 11 to Ballenger Highway and Clarendon Street for a crash with a possible entrapment and fire.
“I heard it, looked up, and (saw) this car rolling and fire coming out,” said Everett, motioning to a gray Pontiac G6 resting on its roof next to a tree that toppled from the impact.
He grabbed a fire extinguisher and made his way to the car to help keep down the flames until first responders arrived at the scene.
“That’s what scared me. I didn’t know if it was going to blow up or what,” said Everett of spotting the fire. “There (were) two people in there and one girl pushed the other one out."
A preliminary police investigation revealed a beige Ford Escape was headed south on Ballenger and ready to turn east on Walton Avenue when a gray Pontiac G6 tried to pass on left.
The Pontiac G6 wound up hitting a tree on Ballenger Highway in front of the Huntington Bank, located at 1160 N. Ballenger Highway, prior to rolling over.
Flint Township Police Officer Janelle Stokes said a female driver and pregnant woman in the front passenger’s seat of the Pontiac G6 were alert and conscious at the scene.
They were later transported by MMR Ambulance Service to Hurley Medical Center for evaluation. The man driving the Ford Escape was questioned by Flint Township police and released at the scene.
Northbound lanes of Ballenger Highway were closed between Clarendon Street and Walton Avenue for approximately one hour after the crash to allow for the investigation and cleanup.
Flint Township firefighters, Flint police, Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, and Michigan State Police assisted Flint Township police at the scene.
The crash remains under investigation.
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