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Elderly victim in wrong-way crash dies in hospital

Posted at 7:20 AM, Sep 09, 2014
and last updated 2014-09-09 07:20:40-04

WRIGHT TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A woman who was hospitalized following a deadly wrong-way crash on I-96 in Ottawa County has passed away as a result of her injuries.

Shirley VanHoeven, 79, was the front seat passenger of a 2000 Toyota Avalon that was struck head-on by a wrong-way driver on September 5.  She and her husband were both taken to the hospital with critical injuries.  Deputies in Ottawa County say VanHoeven passed away late Monday night.

This latest development comes after we learned that the wrong-way driver was never supposed to be behind the wheel.  Leslie Laymon, 83, had his license suspended indefinitely after a crash in April, and he had tried getting it back at least twice.  His 81-year-old wife, Donna, who neighbors said suffered from dementia, was killed in the crash.

The case remains under investigation.