HOUGHTON — Two men died in a single-vehicle crash early this morning in Houghton County’s Portage Township.
At 12:48 a.m., deputies from the Houghton County Sheriff’s Department received notice of the accident, which occurred at the intersection of Onkalos Corner Road and Chassell-Painesdale Road in Portage Township.
The vehicle was heading north on Chassell-Painesdale Road when it drove through the intersection, which had a stop sign, police said. The car then hit a power pole guide wire and a tree, catching on fire.
The driver and passenger were pronounced dead at the scene.
Sheriff’s deputy Tom Rosemurgy said a positive identification has not yet been made on the victims.
“We have made contact with some folks and we’ve got a pretty good idea, but it’s got to be officially determined by the medical examiner’s office,” he said.
The crash’s cause is undetermined. Rosemurgy said that intersection has been the site of previous accidents.
“That particular corner kind of comes up fast for some people at night,” he said. “Maybe there should be a flashing light or something. It’s kind of a bad spot.”
The extensive fire damage made it difficult to identify the vehicle, Rosemurgy said, adding they may be able to read the vehicle’s serial numbers on its engine block.
The Houghton County Sheriff’s Department was assisted at the scene by the Otter Lake First Responders, Adams Township Fire Department, Hurontown Fire Department Jaws of Life, Upper Peninsula Power Co., Mercy Ambulance, Superior Service and the Michigan State Police.
