Woman Flees Police and Causes Multiple Crashes in Bloomfield Township

Bloomfield Township police are investigating what caused a woman to flee from officers during a routine traffic stop and cause a rollover crash that closed down a portion of Long Lake Road Monday.

Sgt. Craig Shackleford said officers pulled over the woman's 2007 Dodge Nitro on Long Lake Road near Telegraph Road after witnessing multiple traffic violations at about 9:25 a.m. The driver appeared highly agitated, did not respond to the officer's commands, and without warning, backed into the patrol car before speeding off westbound on Long Lake, reports said.

The officer was not in the vehicle at the time and was not injured, Shackleford said. The woman then sideswiped another vehicle that she tried to pass near Pine Tree Trail and struck a van traveling in the opposite direction. The Nitro rolled over multiple times before stopping in the roadway, Shackleford said. The driver, a 59-year-old Flint woman, was transported by ambulance to the hospital with minor injuries. She was alone in the vehicle. 

The other motorists, who were also alone in their vehicles, were also taken to the hospital for evaluation but did not suffer serious injuries, according to reports. Neither drugs nor alcohol were a factor in the crash and police are trying to determine if there was a medical situation or other factors that spurred the incident.

The woman was questioned by authorities and released after being cleared by hospital officials.

"We're still trying to figure out what was the cause here, and whether or not there was any thing criminal," Shackleford said.

The roadway was closed in both directions from Telegraph to Franklin Road for more than an hour.