Two Accidents Result in Non Life Threatening Injuries

A total of three people were taken to the hospital as a result of two car accidents Saturday.

On March 3 at approximately 9:45 a.m, Michigan State Police was dispatched to a one car rollover crash on south bound US-23 near Ellsworth Road, in Pittsfield Township. According to the report, the 24-year-old driver, from Livonia, was driving a blue, 2004 Mazda 4 door south on US-23 when he lost control of the vehicle, causing it to rollover. No other vehicles were involved. The driver told police, the report states, that he lost control of his vehicle when he dropped his cellular phone and reached down to retrieve it. The driver, police said, was found responsible for the crash for operating his vehicle in a careless and negligent manner. He was transported by Huron Valley Ambulance to University of Michigan Hospital with non life …

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Traffic Tickets: Your Rights and Responsibilites

Sgt. Mark Thompson of the Michigan State Police discloses everything you need to know after receiving a traffic ticket.

Baseball’s spring training has begun and it looks like the Tigers will provide stiff competition in their division and the American League. I’m looking forward to attending a game or two and snacking on the peanuts and hotdogs as both seem to taste better at the ball park. Thanks to Mike Gorman, of Ann Arbor, MI, who noticed a small, but significant, conundrum with the last Ask A Trooper column and emailed me. Last week I wrote about the intricacies of round-abouts. I wrote about how to enter a round-about a driver would yield to traffic already in the round-about and then turn right and travel “clockwise” while in the round-about. Oops, that is wrong. In America, you can’t turn right in a round-about and travel in a “clockwise” direction…

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How Close is Too Close While Driving; Roundabout Rules and Right-of-Ways

Sgt. Mark Thompson of the Michigan State Police discusses safe following distances and roundabouts.

I was going to comment about the wonderful early spring we are having, the arrival of the sandhill cranes, herons and starlings. Then Friday’s snow storm happened and I think I’ll just wait a few more weeks before I get geared up for 'spring.' Hope your Friday drive into work went well. Livingston County resident Kifton Dillow would like me to write about safe following distances and right-of-way in roundabouts. Let’s tackle the safe following distance. MCL 257.643 specifically covers following too close. MCL257.643(1) states, “The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of the vehicles and the traffic upon, and the condition of, the highway.” …

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Nicole Krawcke

10:39 pm on Sunday, May 13, 2012

Hi Linda, if you read the article you can see that the mistake was corrected on Feb. 24, the day it was published, when user "Old Engineer" first pointed out the error. There is also an Editor's Note at the bottom of the article informing readers of the mistake and the correction. Thanks for reading.   more ›

Work Begins on New State Police Post in Brighton Township

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday at the new site, which will be located adjacent to the township hall on Buno Road.

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Operation Life Saver and Handling Road Rage

Sgt. Mark Thompson of the Michigan State Police advises on dealing with reckless driving and road rage in response to a question from a neighbor.

This week I was asked by a train safety group called Operation Lifesaver to attend a meeting and talk about vehicles crossing train tracks safely and legally. The invitation was sent after an Ask A Trooper column where I described seeing a teenage driver cross the train tracks, while the warning lights were flashing, the bells were sounding and a train was approaching. I was asked to discuss the traffic stop I made and the contact I had with the driver. The members of Operation Lifesaver are focused on trains, rail traffic and most important safety. I met some very interesting and dedicated people at this meeting and every one of them are very interested in safety. I would suggest drivers, parents of teenage drivers and driver instructors …

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Amber Lights Ok to Use in Certain Circumstances

Sgt. Mark Thompson of the Michigan State Police Brighton Post addresses using amber lights.

What interesting weather we’re having -- rain, fog, a little snow, warm temperatures, down-right cold temperatures, cloudy and sunny -- and that’s in the past two weeks. My brother bought a new snow-blower last fall and hasn’t had a chance to use it yet. He says it’s the best anti-snow insurance he could have bought. Matt Smith asks, “Can a person legally use an amber light to back-up in a large parking lot, or use them on the side of the road? I have seen lots of people use them, especially snow plow drivers private and public. Can I use them on my vehicle?” The answer to Matt’s question is found in MCL 257.698 which covers all sorts of lights and how those lights can be utilized. I am going to quote the sections of the law as it relates …

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New Law Prohibits Commercial Drivers From Using Hand Held Mobile Phones

Sgt. Mark Thompson of the Michigan State Police advises on the use of cell phones for Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) operators.

This column is dedicated to Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) operators. A new law took effect on Jan. 3 regarding the use of mobile phones in a CMV and it would behoove the drivers and owners of these vehicles to pay particular attention to this new law because violating it could become very expensive. A CMV is defined as; Any self-propelled or towed motor vehicle used on a highway in interstate of intrastate commerce to transport passengers or property when the vehicle: This definition would include semi-trucks and trailers, box trucks, businesses that have trucks with trailers (lawn care types) and tow trucks. This list is to provide examples and is not all inclusive of what is defined as a commercial vehicle but suffice it to say if your …

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Driver Rescued After Icy Pond Plunge

Brighton Area Firefighters and a Michigan State Police Trooper pulled the driver from a car after it landed on its roof in a pond behind Brighton Hospital near Kensington Road after going off of I-96 around 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

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Drivers Not Allowed to Watch TV; Using Highway Crossovers Dangerous and Illegal

Sgt. Mark Thompson of the Michigan State Police discusses important driving laws before the holidays.

Did you ever have one of those days when you sit in front of your computer and things are a little fuzzy — at least until you increase the font size? I’ve been having that issue, and yes, I’ve scheduled an eye exam. I refuse to say I’m getting older — I am maturing. But my wife says, sometimes there is a significant difference between my chronological age and my maturity age. The holiday season is upon us and families will be traveling throughout Michigan to visit family and friends. These trips can be a little further than “over the hill and through the woods.” During these trips, and after a great game of I-Spy, parents may sometimes use a portable television or laptop computer to show videos to keep our younger generation occupied. MCL …

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State Police Provide Alcohol Enforcement in Ongoing Partnership with Brighton Township

Troopers will take extra shifts during key times such as the holidays, prom and graduation.

It's officially the holiday season, and for Brighton Township residents, that means more than just shopping and parties - it means extra police on the roads. For about seven years, the township has benefited from extra funding that allows them to have additional alcohol enforcement thanks to an agreement with the Michigan State Police Brighton Post. The agreements run October through March and April through September. While the goal is to curb the number of drunk driving incidents, those types of stops haven't been the primary ones during the months the agreements last. According to Michigan State Police Brighton Post Commander Joel Allen, from October 2010 to March 2011, there were no drunk driving stops or arrests made in the 55 hours of…

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