Horror as child, 11, waiting in queue for ice cream hit by truck in Howard City crash

A child queueing for ice cream was amid a multi-vehicle crash last night.

The youngster, in addition to four other people, has been rushed to hospital following the collision, which happened at around 7.40pm (12.40am Tuesday in UK). Police have not confirmed the child's gender but confirmed they were standing in line outside Dairy Bear, an ice cream parlour in Howard City, at the time of the impact.

It happened on a rural road around 30 miles north of the city of Grand Rapids, where temperatures have threatened to hit 20C in each of the last few days. It is thought families had gathered to enjoy the sunshine, sitting outside at Dairy Bear, when the truck careered into parked cars and several people.

A police spokesperson said: "Troopers from the MSP Lakeview Post are investigating a multi-vehicle crash in Howard City that occurred around 7:40 this evening. Initial investigation is that a vehicle traveling southbound on Ensley Street turned into the path of a pickup truck. The truck struck the passenger car and then traveled through the outside seating area of the Dairy Bear.

"Two additional parked vehicles were hit before the truck came to a stop. An 11-year-old child, who was standing in line, was struck by the truck and was transported to the hospital in unknown condition. Four additional people were taken to the hospital with various degrees of injuries. Please keep these families in your thoughts as the investigation continues."

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The exact nature and severity of the injuries each of the five people have suffered remains unclear. Dairy Bear, which only reopened for the spring and summer season on Saturday after closing for the winter, posted on its social media pages: "There was a car accident at Dairy Bear tonight. Please send your thoughts and prayers to everyone involved. Thank you to Montcalm County Dispatch, Michigan State Police and Ems for arriving to the scene quickly."

A string of comments offering their thoughts and wishes to those involved followed. One person said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with you and all involved in the accident. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to reach out." Another man posted: "Prayers for all involved."

In January, a man died when the vehicle he was driving struck a tree alongside the US 131, which runs adjacent to Ensley Street near Howard City. The 35-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene following the smash, which happened on the southbound carriageway of the road that connects Grand Rapids in the south with Petoskey, a city some distance in the north of the state.