PUBLISHED: Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Police investigate Easter Sunday death
By Jeri Packer
Voice Staff Writer
Police are investigating a mysterious death after a local woman was pulled out of a vehicle submerged in the St. Clair River at the south end of downtown Marine City Easter night.
Traci Palmer, age 35, of Clay Township was pronounced dead at River District Hospital after medical personnel worked for hours to revive her.
The events leading up to the tragedy began at about 10 p.m., when Marine City police were contacted about a vehicle seen driving through the yards of homes on South Water Street by Holy Cross Catholic Church. When police arrived, they tracked tire marks in several lawns, following them to the edge of the seawall at the St. Clair River. It appeared the vehicle went off the edge and into the river.
The St. Clair County Sheriff's Dive Team responded to the scene and divers located the submerged vehicle with the woman inside, still alive. They continued to search for any other victims of the crash, but found none.
Marine City Fire Department, St. Clair County Sheriff's Department, U.S. Coast Guard and the Michigan State Police also assisted in the accident.
MCPD Evidence Technicians and a MSP Traffic Crash Reconstructionist are still piecing together evidence from the scene. The St. Clair County Marine Division recovered the vehicle using float tools Monday morning. Marine City Police Chief Don Tillery stated, "The St. Clair County Sheriff's Dive Team and Marine Division did a remarkable job. In freezing water and below-freezing temperatures, they performed admirably."
Police investigate Easter Sunday death
By Jeri Packer
Voice Staff Writer
Police are investigating a mysterious death after a local woman was pulled out of a vehicle submerged in the St. Clair River at the south end of downtown Marine City Easter night.
Traci Palmer, age 35, of Clay Township was pronounced dead at River District Hospital after medical personnel worked for hours to revive her.
The events leading up to the tragedy began at about 10 p.m., when Marine City police were contacted about a vehicle seen driving through the yards of homes on South Water Street by Holy Cross Catholic Church. When police arrived, they tracked tire marks in several lawns, following them to the edge of the seawall at the St. Clair River. It appeared the vehicle went off the edge and into the river.
The St. Clair County Sheriff's Dive Team responded to the scene and divers located the submerged vehicle with the woman inside, still alive. They continued to search for any other victims of the crash, but found none.
Marine City Fire Department, St. Clair County Sheriff's Department, U.S. Coast Guard and the Michigan State Police also assisted in the accident.
MCPD Evidence Technicians and a MSP Traffic Crash Reconstructionist are still piecing together evidence from the scene. The St. Clair County Marine Division recovered the vehicle using float tools Monday morning. Marine City Police Chief Don Tillery stated, "The St. Clair County Sheriff's Dive Team and Marine Division did a remarkable job. In freezing water and below-freezing temperatures, they performed admirably."
