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GRPD: Road-rage results in car hitting tree, catching fire

Posted at 8:25 PM, Aug 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-09 20:40:31-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.  —  Grand Rapids Police dispatchers say an SUV slammed into a tree on the city’s southeast side Thursday evening, and then the front of the vehicle burst into flames. The tree did not catch fire.

It happened around 7:20 p.m., in the 2100 block of Burton Street, west of Breton Road. Burton Street was blocked off, as responding firefighters put out the flames and crews cleaned up debris. Police say one lane of westbound Burton had reopened around 8:10 p.m., and the rest of the road would be reopening “shortly.”

The crash happened in front of a house. But police told FOX 17 at the scene it began with an alleged road-rage incident involving two vehicles on Plymouth Avenue, and then headed to Burton Street. It led to the SUV going off the road and striking the tree, near the curb. Police indicated the other vehicle left the scene.

A woman was ejected from the crashed vehicle, according to responding officers, and the driver (a man) was briefly trapped in the wreckage, but managed to get out. At least one person was driven to a hospital with unspecified injuries.

GRPD is continuing its investigation on-scene.