PORTAGE, Mich. — A normal drive along Portage Road can take a quick, unexpected turn. The family that lives right along the busy road fears that the next time a car comes into their yard, it won't be a tree that gets hit. Now, the family is asking the city of Portage to install a guardrail.
“If the guardrail was on the corner of South Shore and came along Portage Road, closer, ending maybe just on the other side of the neighbor's mailbox, that it would direct the cars out into the road versus coming straight at our house,” Mike Van Tiem told FOX 17 Friday. He considers his entire front yard a danger zone. “It’s absolutely hair-raising.”
“It's been four cars landing in the yard, one taking out my tree here. Three times. Cars have hit the fire hydrant twice, taking it out completely twice, just kind of making it leak a little bit from the ground,” he explained.
The damage from the fire hydrant incident caused water to flood over the property and knock out a few bushes. Van Tiem says the problem is where the road curves. Cars driving along it veer straight toward their home.
A tree that was once the family’s biggest protection is now gone. “That's what stopped the car from going further. Straight ahead is not only my front porch but also both my daughter's bedrooms,” Van Tiem said.
The family has lived off Portage Road for ten years and found out from neighbors that a car actually did hit the house before they moved in. However, with a wife and two little girls, Van Tiem can’t take any more chances. “Not only were we in the house where the car actually took out this tree, but my wife and youngest daughter were also in the garage. So that's how close it's been,” he said.
Van Tiem says he's worried about what winter will bring to their doorstep, especially now that snow is already falling.
“South Shore, that little road there, is not a primary road for plowing. So, cars drag snow and ice out onto the main road. And as cars are coming down, they hit that snow and ice and spin out into our yard,” he added.
Along with safety concerns, there’s financial stress. Although the city took care of the fire hydrant cleanup, the Van Tiem family has paid thousands out of pocket for damages.
The city responded to FOX 17’s questions on the request for a guardrail. In an email, a spokesperson said, “The city of Portage received a report from a citizen about traffic crashes on Portage Road in the vicinity of South Shore Drive and Woodbine Avenue. We advised the citizen that an inspection of the location had been ordered. The city is evaluating options for improving visibility.”
