BURTCHVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A 15-year-old boy and his 52-year-old mother, both of Wixom, were killed Thursday when a semi-truck slammed into their sport utility vehicle at the intersection of Lakeshore and Burtch roads in Lakeport, which is just north of Port Huron.
The teen was driving on a learner's permit around 3:30 p.m. Thursday with his mother in the front seat and his 21-year-old sister in the back seat. Deputies said the family was heading to Lakeport State Park to camp.
He was headed east on Burtch Road. Witnesses said the car stopped, then turned left into the path of the semi-truck that was southbound on Lakeshore Road.
Deputies said after the initial impact, the car and semi-truck continued on and crashed into a sign for Duffy's Tavern, on the southeast corner of the intersection. The car and semi-truck also struck a car parked in the lot.
The boy and his mother were killed in the crash. The St. Clair County Sheriff's Office said the boy's sister was taken to Port Huron Hospital, where she was treated and released for minor injuries.
The driver of the semi-truck, a 72-year-old man from Almont, was checked at the scene but refused treatment, deputies said.
The Sheriff's Office said neither alcohol or drugs are believed to be a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation.
The boy's father was on his way there to meet them when the crash happened.