Officer Scott Silkworth Involved in Head-On Collision at Accident Call

A Michigan State Police Officer was called to an accident on northbound U.S. 131. This happened around 9:30 a.m. on February 27.

Officer Scott Silkworth of the Marshall post was called to the scene of an accident just south of Schoolcraft. The initial accident call was for a semi-truck that had jackknifed. As Officer Silkworth was getting ready to exit his vehicle, he noticed another truck coming at him.

A pickup truck that was driving southbound on U.S. 131 lost control. The truck went across the median and toward the officer’s car.

Staying in the car is most likely what spared Officer Silkworth from receiving serious injuries. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was checked out for some minor injuries. He was released shortly afterward.

There were no other injuries in either of the accidents in that area.

There was no indication as to how fast the truck was going when it hit the officer’s car head-on. Typically, injuries are substantial in a head-on accident.

If a car is traveling faster than 43 miles per hour at the time of impact, survival chances plummet. Studies have shown that a head-on collision where one of the drivers was going 70 miles per hour dropped the survival rate to 25 percent.

Common injuries in head-on collisions can include severe lacerations, road rash, broken bones, head trauma, and whiplash.

Whiplash is a common injury in most car accidents. It is an injury that occurs when there is a quick back and forth movement of the neck. Primarily the indicator of whiplash is pain throughout the neck and the shoulders.

The onset of whiplash can occur as soon as it happens, but it is possible to not show symptoms until up to 24 hours later.

The investigation as to why the man lost control of the truck is still ongoing. They do not believe that the driver who hit the police car was impaired.