County Executive Patterson Injured in Car Accident
According to news reports, L. Brooks Patterson suffered broken bones as a passenger in an Auburn Hills crash but is expected to make a full recovery.
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Updated: Friday, Aug. 10, 9:13 p.m.
Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson is hospitalized in surgery Friday night after suffering from non-life threatening injuries in a traffic accident, according to reports.
Patterson reportedly suffered from broken bones after the accident in Auburn Hills at the intersection of E. Walton Blvd. and N. Opdyke Rd. Officials at McLaren Health Center, formerly Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital, could not estimate the length of time in which Patterson would remain there, but he expected to make a full recovery.
The Detroit Free Press reports that Patterson was the passenger in a vehicle traveling eastbound on Walton Boulevard. at about 4 p.m. when when a car traveling west did not yield at the Opdyke Road intersection.
Four people in total suffered non-life threatening injuries, according to reports.
Anyone who witnessed the accident is asked to contact the Auburn Hills Police Department at 248-370-9444.
chris. roznowski
8:12 pm on Friday, August 10, 2012
Sorry to hear about the accident. I pray L. Brooks Patterson and the others will recover from their injuries quickly.
Jan Smith
8:12 pm on Friday, August 10, 2012
Sounds like one of those yellow flashing arrows. Some drivers are confused by them and will speed up, thinking it's going to turn red. My dad was nearly killed by such a driver. Maybe we should stick with red and green, so there is no doubt.
Robb
8:20 am on Saturday, August 11, 2012
I bet he wasn't wearing his seat belt.
Jan Smith
5:10 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
My dad was wearing a seat belt and the air bag deployed, but his neck was broken and he had cuts and bruises. I'd hate to think how much worse his injuries would have been without the seat belt.
Stephen
8:52 am on Saturday, August 11, 2012
THE FLASHING YELLOW ARROW HAS TO GO...RED OR GREEN MAKES SO MUCH MORE SENSE AS WE HAVE MANY CONFUSED PEOPLE DRIVING THAT REALLY SHOULD NOT HAVE A LICENSE HERE IN MICHIGAN FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD WITH DIFFERENT RULES AND NORMS...JUST WATCH HOW MANY PEOPLE CONTIINUE THROUGH THE YELLEW AND RED LIGHTS AT THE INTERSECTION INSTEAD OF STOPPING.
Harper
4:55 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
Agreed. I called the county to try to get accident rates for the intersections with flashing yellow and they didn't track that. Hmmm.
Jan Smith
5:13 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
I agree. Yellow lights indicate Caution, not floor it and try to squeeze through.
Eva
9:10 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
@Harper, yes it does make one wonder about them NOT keeping any stats about accidents regarding yellow flashing arrow intersections. My first encounter with one (had not heard of them at the time) and I almost had an accident. Considering I have never had an accident and drive many miles a year all over Michigan and in all kinds of weather, for many years, I think I am safe to say THEY STINK! I wonder what company got the contract for the installation of them. Hmmmm.
Chris
9:03 am on Saturday, August 11, 2012
and what do you base that statement on Robb ??
Robb
10:11 am on Saturday, August 11, 2012
Injuries would may have been less severe if he were wearing a seat belt, given the fact he was in the backseat. I don't know-------I wasn't there. Just a guess.
Ferndale_1986
8:14 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
@Robb
where are you getting your facts from, Robb?
all the press accounts i read say Patterson was in the front seat!
Peoplearenuts
9:45 am on Saturday, August 11, 2012
A terrible accident and I hope all involved will be OK. Maybe Brooks will withdraw from the electionj - it is time for someone else to take over.
Elizabeth Vollbach
1:15 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
I think he is an EXCELLENT county executive. I pray he fully recovers.
Betty
Peoplearenuts
2:00 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
Excellent because he talks like he has a mouth full of marbles? Gets his DUIs covered up and gets escorted home by the cops? Can shut down half of Rochester for the Brooksie Way? Oh, yeah, excellent.
karen hampton
8:14 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
I too hold Brooks in high regard. He IS an excellent C.E. Regardless of politics, I hope all who were injured in this accident recover fully. Btw, I live in Rochester &bringing fully support the Brooksie Way. It's ONE DAY people, get a grip!
Michael De Santis
8:29 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
Be Well Brook's Pattterson.
Carol Lynn
8:37 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
Maybe now that an important person was injured, 'they' will do away with those flashing yellow arrows! Whoever thought about putting in the flashing yellow arrows, should be fired!
Greg Pawlica
9:31 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
OMG...Seriously? Flashing yellow lights aren't that complicated. The only people that seem to have any issue with them are those that don't take the time to pay attention to the road they are driving and the intersection they're approaching. Let's not deal with the actual problem...people on cell phones, changing radio stations, talking to the other people in their car. Traffic lights aren't the problem...the people driving the cars are the problem. If yellow flashing lights were accident causing devices, then you would have thousands of accidents a day. Fact is the driver of one of the cars was not paying attention to their responsibility.
Carol Lynn
4:22 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
I agree, Mr. Pawlica, changing radio stations, talking on cell phones, etc. are a problem: BUT! Fact is: So are the flashing yellow arrows. I see accidents and near accidents all the time.
Jan Smith
7:54 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
I agree that driving distracted is dangerous, but it is time for a serious study of accidents involving flashing yellow arrows. Maybe they shouldn't be complicated, but for some people, they are. Anything that can be done to make driving safer, should be.
Kristin Bull
9:14 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Here's more information on the flashing yellow signals. http://patch.com/A-jkTR The county has been slowly replacing flashing red signals with flashing yellow signals. There are mixed opinions on the flashing yellow signals, but Michigan was apparently one of only two states to have the flashing reds, which is why they are being replaced.
Laura Vogel
12:14 pm on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
What is being swept under the rug is the fact that the driver of the car that appears to have NOT paid attention to the traffic signals (regardless of color) and who was NOT wearing a seat belt either -- that car was a BOSCH car (it has "BOSCH" logos all over it). Bosch makes vehicle safety systems like airbags, seat belt tensioners and collision warning radar (among other things). I would certainly hope that Bosch takes disciplinary actions against its own employees who violate traffic laws while driving a company-branded vehicle.