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Police ID woman killed in Chassell Township crash

CHASSELL — Officials have released the name of the victim who died after a four-vehicle crash that occurred on U.S. 41 near the Sturgeon River Bridge in Chassell Township around 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

Christine Michelle Juntunen, 44, of Lake Linden was killed in the accident, which involved three passenger cars and a semi-tractor trailer hauling diesel fuel and gasoline in a 9,000 gallon fuel tank, according to a press release from the Houghton County Sheriff’s Office.

The semi-tractor trailer was travelling northbound on U.S. 41 from Green Bay, Wisconsin, when another vehicle, driven by Jennifer Jennings-Shaud, 40, of L’Anse attempted to pass the fuel truck but lost control of her vehicle on the ice-covered road. Officials confirmed that Jennings-Shaud’s southbound vehicle, a Toyota RAV, struck Juntunen’s Honda CRV, which was pushed into the northbound lane, into the path of the fuel truck.

Juntunen was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

In addition to Juntunen’s vehicle, another southbound vehicle, with passengers Eric Trapp, 40, Amanda Galetto, 43 and Brady Galetto, 12, all of Hancock, was struck in the accident.

The fuel truck driver, David Hopper, 50 of Green Bay was uninjured. Jennings-Shaud and her passenger received treatment at the scene and were transported to Portage Health Systems Hospital in Hancock. Jennings-Shaud was later transported to UP Health System-Marquette for further treatment.

Environmental Protection Agency and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality officials confirmed that the fuel truck spilled both oil and gas.

“Right now, our focus is on continuing to recover spilled gasoline product from the sides of the roadway, the banks of the Sturgeon River … That’s one priority,” Ralph Dolhopf of the EPA said. “We are also continuing to conduct air quality monitoring in the vicinity of the spill to make sure that residual gasoline vapors are not affecting residential areas and we are working with the (Michigan) Department of Transportation, MDOT, to ensure that traffic safety and traffic control are prioritized, and hope to achieve a full reopening of U.S. 41 at the bridge within the next two or three days.”

Officials strongly suspect that fuel and/or oil has entered the river and will begin cutting holes through the ice to search for it. They are currently initiating the process of “evaluating whether gasoline has moved downstream from the site of the spill beneath the ice in the river,” Dolhopf said.

Officials said U.S. 41 was still down to one lane in the area of the crash.

Responding agencies included, Houghton Country Sheriff’s Office, Chassell Fire Department and First Responders, Hurontown Fire Department, Calumet Fire and Rescue, Michigan State Police, The U.S. Coast Guard Containment Unit, Michigan Department of Transportation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Michigan DEQ, Ironwood Public Safety Fire and Rescue, Lake Linden Police Department, Houghton County Emergency Measures and Mercy Ambulance.

Cecilia Brown can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. Her email address is cbrown@miningjournal.net.

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