March 4, 2015
The Midland County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a car/pedestrian accident that claimed the life of a 36 year Coleman resident. The incident took place in the parking lot of the Hamilton Street Apartments in the City of Coleman at approximately 8:02 am on March 3, 2015.
Our investigation has determined that the driver of the vehicle had pulled into the parking lot of the apartment to pick up the victim and her child. They were going to drop the children off at school and then go shopping. The driver noticed that the child was not wearing proper cold weather attire and sent the child in the house to retrieve it. She remained in her car and waited. While the driver was waiting another resident of the apartment complex needed to leave and the driver’s car was parking behind this vehicle. The driver did not see the victim and assumed that she had gone in the house to assist the child with the clothing. This was not the case. Unbeknownst to the driver, her friend had fallen down in front of her 2004 GMC Yukon. The driver pulled her vehicle forward to allow the other vehicle to leave and ran over her friend.
The victim, 36 year old Kathleen Hughes of Coleman was taken to MidMichigan Health in Midland where she was pronounced dead. It is unknown what caused the victim to fall in front of the vehicle. An autopsy has been performed in an attempt to make a determination.
This incident remains under investigation. The Midland County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by MidMichigan Health EM and the Coleman Fire Department
Sheriff Scott Stephenson