Location Error Delays Response

A Macomb County (Mich.) woman whose car crashed off the roadway lay seriously injured in the car, which was nearly entirely submerged in a pond, for two days before a passerby noticed her and called police. After the rescue, county officials admitted that a passing bicyclist had earlier spotted the vehicle, but an unnamed dispatcher had mixed up the location the man had given, and a deputy was unable to locate the vehicle. Jennifer Bova, 21, remains in the hospital with multiple injuries and an uncertain recovery. Bova apparently crashed some time on the night of April 25th. About 6 p.m. on the 26th the bicyclist spotted her. It wasn’t until 9 a.m. on the 27th that she was finally located, but it took two hours to extricate her from the car. According to logging tapes the caller said the vehicle was in a pond, off the north side of Armada Ridge Ridge west of Welding Road. But the radio dispatcher gave, “Welding north of Armada.” Listen to (carefully) or download (mp3) the logging tape here, and follow along with a view of the crash location here.