Woman, 66, Critically Hurt When SUV Backing Into a Driveway Strikes Two Pedestrians in Grand Haven Township

Forest Park Drive Crash in Grand Haven Township: Woman, 66, Critically Hurt | Sept 15, 2026

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By TruckCrash News Desk · Michigan Daily Crash Report

What Happened

A 66-year-old woman was critically injured Tuesday afternoon when an SUV backing into a driveway struck her and a second pedestrian in Grand Haven Township, according to the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office. Deputies and emergency crews were called to the area of Forest Park Drive and Ferris Street at approximately 4:44 p.m. on September 15.

The sheriff's office said a 58-year-old Grand Haven Township woman was driving a 2012 Buick Enclave southbound on Forest Park Drive and was attempting to turn around to head north. As she backed into a nearby driveway, deputies said, she failed to see two pedestrians standing in the drive and struck both of them.

The 66-year-old woman, a Grand Haven Township resident, was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. A 66-year-old Grand Haven Township man who was also struck was not injured. None of those involved have been publicly identified.

The Grand Haven Township Fire Department and LIFE EMS responded alongside the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office. No road closure was reported.

Reporting: WOOD TV8, Ottawa News Network, and WHTC, with information from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office.

The Investigation: What Happens Next

The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office said the incident remains under investigation. In a crash involving a vehicle in reverse, investigators document the geometry of the driveway, the position of the pedestrians, and what was visible from the driver's seat.

Deputies also commonly canvass for video in residential settings like this one, where doorbell and driveway cameras are widespread and often capture the moments before an incident from an angle no other record provides.

The sheriff's office has not announced any citations or charges, has not released the names of anyone involved, and has not stated a conclusion about the cause. The condition of the injured woman had not been updated as of the sheriff's office's initial statements.

The Legal Picture

<strong>Are backing crashes handled differently in Michigan?</strong> A collision that happens while a vehicle is in reverse is still a traffic crash for reporting and insurance purposes, including when it occurs on or near private property such as a driveway. The investigating agency documents it the same way it documents a crash on the roadway.

<strong>How does Michigan no-fault cover an injured pedestrian?</strong> Michigan's no-fault system provides personal injury protection benefits to pedestrians injured by a motor vehicle, and the question of which insurer is responsible depends on the circumstances and on the coverage held by the people involved. Our general explainer covers <a href="https://www.truckcrash.com/how-michigan-no-fault-works/">how Michigan no-fault works</a>.

<strong>What benefits can a seriously injured person claim?</strong> Michigan personal injury protection can cover allowable medical expenses, replacement services, and wage loss within the limits a policyholder selected under the state's tiered coverage structure. General information is in our overview of <a href="https://www.truckcrash.com/michigan-no-fault-insurance/">Michigan no-fault insurance</a>.

<strong>Are there deadlines to be aware of?</strong> Michigan law sets notice requirements and time limits that begin running from the date of a crash. Our general overview of <a href="https://www.truckcrash.com/michigan-no-fault-deadlines/">Michigan no-fault deadlines</a> explains the framework.

<em>Nothing in this section assumes fault by any person involved in this crash. The investigation is ongoing and no citations or charges have been reported.</em>

This Stretch of Road

Forest Park Drive runs through a residential section of Grand Haven Township, the township that wraps around the city of Grand Haven on Ottawa County's Lake Michigan shoreline. Streets in this part of the township are local residential roads with low posted speeds, private driveways at close intervals, and no separated sidewalk along much of their length, which puts people on foot and vehicles maneuvering into and out of drives in the same space.

The Ferris Street area sits in that residential grid a short distance inland from the lakeshore. Local streets that terminate without an outlet, or that offer no convenient loop, are places where drivers routinely use a private driveway to reverse and turn around, a maneuver that happens thousands of times a day across Michigan neighborhoods without incident but that puts a vehicle moving backward into a space where residents stand and walk.

Late Tuesday afternoon in mid-September is an active period on township residential streets, with people home from work and daylight still ample. The sheriff's office has not identified lighting or roadway conditions as a factor.

If You Saw This Crash

The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate. Anyone who was near Forest Park Drive and Ferris Street in Grand Haven Township around 4:44 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15, and saw the SUV, the two pedestrians, or the collision itself is encouraged to contact the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office.

Because this happened in a residential setting, doorbell and driveway camera footage is especially valuable here. Residents along Forest Park Drive and the surrounding streets with cameras facing a drive or the roadway are encouraged to check and preserve their recordings from Tuesday afternoon, even if the incident itself is outside the frame.

More on This Crash

• WOOD TV8: Deputies say 2 hit by car in Grand Haven Township, woman in critical condition
• Ottawa News Network: Woman critically injured after being backed into by vehicle in Grand Haven Twp. driveway
• WHTC: Woman struck by backing vehicle in Grand Haven area driveway