Trooper & Deputy Injured After Patrol Cars Hit in Separate CrashesTrooper & Deputy Injured After Patrol Cars Hit in Separate Crashes

2/18/14 - Both a Michigan State Police Trooper from the Brighton Post and a Livingston County Sheriff’s Deputy sustained minor injuries after their patrol cars were hit during separate crashes in Brighton Township last night. The first happened shortly before 10pm when authorities say MSP Trooper James Gilmer was assisting a motorist on southbound US-23, south of Hyne Road. The motorist was parked on the median shoulder with Trooper Gilmer parked behind him with his emergency lights on when 27-year-old Deondre Richmond of Flint lost control of his Toyota Camry, left the roadway and struck the fully marked State Police Dodge Charger. Richmond was not injured but was ticketed after investigation indicated he was traveling too fast for road and weather conditions. Trooper Gilmer was taken to Saint Joseph Mercy Livingston Hospital in Howell and treated for his injuries before being released. Then roughly 15 minutes later, Livingston County Sheriff’s Deputy Kendall Kretzschmer was involved in a crash on Grand River, east of Old US-23. State Police say preliminary investigation indicates a 94-year-old Brighton woman was traveling west bound on Grand River in the left lane when she failed to yield and made a left turn in front of Deputy Kretzschmer’s fully marked patrol car, which was traveling east bound. Police say Deputy Kretzschmer had the right-of-way and was unable to avoid the woman’s vehicle. Both sustained what were described as non-life threatening injuries and were treated and released from the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. (JM)