Father, 9-Year-Old Son Killed In Crash On Way To School
LYON TOWNSHIP (WWJ) - An Oakland County community is mourning a father and his 9-year-old son who were killed in a crash on the way to school Tuesday morning.
Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe said the roads were snowy and slick when 36-year-old Pedro Montanez of New Hudson was traveling with three children in his Mazda 3 along Pontiac Trail, west of Martindale, in Lyon Township.
"At least preliminary it seems that that he hit a patch of ice, lost control of the vehicle, went left of center, struck a pickup truck that was pulling a trailer," McCabe said.
Montanez was pronounced dead at the scene. His son, Steven Timothy Montanez — a student at Kent Lake Elementary School — died a short time later.
The two other children — a 10-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl — were being treated at CS Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor. The boy was last reported in critical condition while the girl was reported stable.
The pickup truck driver, 25-year-old Farmington Hills resident, was not hurt. Sheriff's officials said he did attempt to avoid the crash by running off the roadway to the right onto the shoulder.
All occupants were wearing seat belts, authorities said, and the little girl was in a proper booster seat. Alcohol does not appear to have been a factor in the crash.
