Families focus on recovery, justice a year after I-75 crash killed 3 in Detroit

Feb. 01--Kimberly Barrett has no memory of the fatal accident her family was involved in on I-75 a year ago.

But her husband, Glen Greenwood, vividly remembers the Detroit crash that killed two of their children.

Neither knows which is worse.

A snow squall blinded drivers on Jan. 31, 2013, and contributed to multiple pileups involving 41 vehicles near the Springwells exit that resulted in three fatalities, including the children and a 54-year-old man from Allen Park.

Greenwood and Barrett, a couple from Windsor with a blended family, had crossed the U.S. border and were headed for a vacation when they encountered whiteout conditions on the freeway and crashes followed.

"We planned the trip to make beautiful memories with our children," they said in a statement. "What we got was the biggest nightmare ever."

Gabrielle Greenwood, 9, and her stepbrother, Aidan Hicks, 7, died, and the other three family members were hospitalized.

The family filed a lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court alleging the driver of a semi truck was going too fast for conditions and had brakes that didn't work properly, causing the collision and deaths.

A Michigan State Police investigation also revealed there were "significant deficiencies to the braking system" of the semi.

Barrett and Greenwood declined to talk to the Free Press directly but gave an update on what their family has endured over the last year to their attorney, Bob Darling, who provided it to the Free Press.

They spent Christmas at the cemetery and said there are daily reminders their children are gone. They blame a "bad driver in an unsafe truck."

"We find ourselves talking to Aidan and Gabi, but they are not here," they said. "They can't respond, they can't kiss us, wipe away our tears."

Dealing with loss

Dozens of accidents occurred quickly that day along a roughly 1-mile stretch of southbound I-75, but the Michigan State Police investigation focused primarily on the crashes between a 1996 Freightliner tractor-trailer driven by Brian Revitzer, 47, the 2006 Mazda 6 driven by Greenwood and a 2006 Pontiac Torrent driven by Menelaos (Larry) Manolis, who also died that day.

Neither Revitzer nor his attorney could be reached for comment.

According to a police report obtained by the Free Press, Greenwood said the roads were suddenly icy and he could not apply the vehicle's brakes without sliding and then was hit from behind, causing his car to spin out of control.

His car was struck multiple times before it came to rest sideways in the road, with the passenger side facing southbound traffic, Greenwood told Michigan State Police investigating the crash.

Then he heard his wife scream. A semi was coming right at the car, Greenwood recalled during a follow-up interview two weeks after the accident.

The semi struck their car on the passenger rear side and "everyone in the vehicle became silent," Greenwood told police, according to the report.

All three kids were unconscious and unresponsive, and his wife was pushed onto his lap.

Greenwood got out to help the kids, and his car was struck again, pinning him against another vehicle until he was able to get away from his vehicle to safety.

Neither Gabrielle or Aidan had a pulse or were breathing when police arrived. Their sister, Hannah Greenwood, then 10, also was not breathing, but Michigan State Trooper Seth Swanson,who broke out a window to get to her, found a pulse and gave her three rescue breaths, the report said.

She regained consciousness and was rushed to the hospital.

Manolis, an architect whose family said he loved Detroit, was in a crash about 300 feet south -- that involved the same semi -- and died at the scene.

The Freightliner rear-ended his SUV, forcing it into the trailer of a car hauler, police said in the report.

Manolis' family said they continue to deal with his death a year later. They, too, are considering filing a lawsuit.

"He was just a great guy," said John Manolis, his older brother. "A very caring person."

Truck scrutinized

Police gave three "mitigating circumstances" in the accident report: poor vision, poor roadway conditions and a mechanical defect of the semi, which had deficiencies to the braking system, according to the report obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

"The crux of this investigation is reduced to the braking efficiency of the Freightliner," it said.

The reduced braking efficiency of the semi would increase stopping distances "dramatically," the report said.

"It could be argued that had the brakes been in proper working order, the vehicle could have slowed enough to reduce or minimize injuries to those in the Mazda," investigators wrote. "It could be argued to a greater degree that proper braking efficiency would have reduced the speed of the Freightliner enough to reduce or minimize injuries to the driver of the Pontiac."

According to the report, Revitzer, the Freightliner's driver, told police he was hit from the left by a semi with a long box trailer, which forced him to the right.

"He said that he attempted to brake, but could not stop," the report said. "He added that he just kept sliding and was unable to stop."

The hood and front fenders of the semi had prevalent damage.

Police said they weren't able to identify any potential vehicles that could have come into contact with the semi, but said the driver-side mirror was bent and there was damage extending back along the entire length of the the trailer.

Michigan State Police turned their crash investigation over to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office on Dec. 11 for review and a decision on whether criminal charges will be filed, officials said.

Prosecutors asked police for additional investigation on Wednesday afternoon, Wayne County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Maria Miller said.

Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw declined to discuss what specifically was done during the lengthy investigation because a charging decision hasn't been made, but the report showed it included accident reconstruction, vehicle examinations and lab analysis.

"A lot of folks figure that it should come out real quick because 'CSI' finishes every case up in an hour," he said. "It doesn't really work that way."

Seeking justice

The lawsuit filed on behalf of Greenwood and Barrett seeks more than $1 million and also names Capacity Transport, the company Revitzer was working for that day.

Capacity did not return calls seeking comment Thursday.

The lawsuit accused Revitzer of driving too close to other vehicles and pointed out Revitzer's driving history, which involves five citations in less than 2 { years.

In March 2009, he was involved in an accident and cited for failing to stop within assured clear distance in Royal Oak, according to Michigan Secretary of State records.

In April 2010, Revitzer was ticketed for following too closely in Romeo, and he also received speeding tickets in February 2008 in Sterling Heights, April 2009 in Livonia, and May 2010 in Ontario, the records show.

Revitzer was referred to the Secretary of State in March last year, and a driver analyst gave him a 90-day driving suspension on June 26, said Fred Woodhams, a spokesman for the Michigan Secretary of State's Office.

Being involved in a fatal crash would result in a re-examination, he said.

Revitzer got some driving privileges back in October and can drive a passenger vehicle, but he can't drive any vehicle that requires a commercial driver's license, records show.

He is also involved in a lawsuit with his insurance company, Cherokee Insurance Company, over benefits, Wayne County Circuit Court records show.

Meanwhile, the Greenwood family continues to focus on recovery.

Barrett, who was in a coma and suffered a brain injury, has therapy five days a week.

The physical and emotional pain from the accident and deaths of Gabrielle and Aidan will last the rest of their lives, her family said.

Contact Elisha Anderson: [email protected] or 313-222-5144

___

(c)2014 Detroit Free Press

Visit the Detroit Free Press at www.freep.com

<p class="shirttail">Distributed by MCT Information Services