(JACKSON TOWNSHIP) - Four children were injured in a one vehicle crash.
Steuben County Sheriff Rodney Robinson says at 10:30 PM Friday, deputies and first responders were called to the 6500 block of North County Road 450 West in Jackson Township on a report of a single vehicle crash with injuries. They found two children with injuries and immediately began treatment.
The preliminary investigation indicated that a black pickup was driving south on County Road 450 West from State Road 120 at a high rate of speed. The driver, 30 year old Tayler J. Lorenz of Jonesville, approached a 90 degree curve in the road and failed to negotiate the curve due to the high rate of speed. His vehicle left the road and collided with several trees.
Lorenz allegedly fled the scene taking two children, ages 3 and 6, while leaving two other children, ages 4 and 16 in the truck. The two children in the truck were taken to Parkview Regional Medical Center and are in critical condition.
A search of the area was conducted by Sheriff's Office drones and K-9 units along with the Fremont Fire Department drone and personnel from the Orland Fire Department.
Investigators ultimately discovered that the children taken by Lorenz were dropped off at a residence known to the family in Hillsdale County. Michigan State Police responded to the house and found the children had minor cuts and bruising from the crash.
Lorenz eventually showed up at the Branch County Sheriff's Office around 10 AM Saturday and was interviewed by crash investigators. Airbags did deploy and the weather was clear and the road was dry at the time of the crash, which remains under investigation.