A collision involving a Jeep Grand Cherokee and two young cyclists occurred on County Road 4, east of County Road 29, at approximately 7:50 a.m. Tuesday morning. The vehicle, a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a 31-year-old Elkhart woman was traveling eastbound when it struck the two boys, aged 7 and 13, who were riding their bicycles in the same direction.
According to initial reports, the sun’s glare is believed to have impaired visibility for eastbound traffic at the time of the crash. The front passenger side of Velazquez’s Jeep collided with the cyclists. The 7-year-old boy sustained a severe head injury and was airlifted by MedFlight to Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo with life-threatening injuries. The 13-year-old boy was transported to Memorial Hospital with an arm injury, which was reported to be non-life-threatening.
The driver, who was wearing her seatbelt and reported no injuries, was not cited at the scene. The incident remains under investigation, and no charges have been filed at this time.