Police investigating Chippewa County accident that killed two

SAULT STE. MARIE — Police officers are investigating a fatal accident in Chippewa County.

The Michigan State Police responded to a traffic crash at 11:45 a.m. on Mackinac Trail near 11 Mile road in Chippewa County. A passenger vehicle was traveling southbound when it collided with a commercial vehicle pulling a snowmobile trailer traveling northbound on Mackinac Trail.

The passenger vehicle and the commercial vehicle came to rest on the shoulder of the northbound lane of Mackinac Trail. Two additional vehicles traveling southbound and northbound respectively were unable to stop and collided with each other in the roadway near the original crash site.

The driver of the southbound passenger vehicle, Donald Cook, 69, and his passenger, Janet Cook, 69, both from Kincheloe, sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the commercial vehicle, Daniel Brady, sustained minor injuries. The drivers of the other two vehicles, Larry Tasker Jr. and Emily Stork, were not injured in the crash.

Mackinac Trail was closed for approximately three hours to allow for a complete investigation of the traffic crash. It was re-opened to traffic at 2:30 p.m.

The accident remains under investigation. Alcohol and drugs are not believed to be factors at this time.

The Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Border Patrol, MSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement and Kinross and Dafter Township EMS assisted on the scene.