News Photo by Steve Schulwitz First responders work at the scene of a two-car, head-on crash on U.S.-23 on Monday night.

ALPENA — A two-car, head-on crash involving two pickup trucks on Monday night in Alpena claimed the lives of two Northeast Michigan men.

Another man is in a coma in the critical care unit at Hurley Medical Center in Flint with a long list of serious injuries.

The wreck occurred on U.S.-23 South between North Partridge Point Road and South Partridge Point Road shortly before 8 p.m.

Police say a witness to the accident said one of the trucks appeared to be driving over the posted speed limit and weaving prior to the crash.

The crash remains under investigation and Michigan State Police-Alpena has not released the names of the deceased.

According to a press release from MSP, a 19-year-old passenger in a Dodge Ram pickup was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver of a Chevrolet Avalanche was extracted from his vehicle and later died at the hospital.

The 21-year-old Harrisville man, who was driving the Dodge, and another passenger, a 21-year-old man from Lincoln, were transported to MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena. The driver of the Dodge was later transported to Hurley Medical Center in Flint.

John Matthews, the father of the driver of the Dodge Ram, said his son was able to exit the truck and walk to the ambulance at the scene, but his condition is critical but stabilized now. He said his son has already had surgery on his lower abdomen to repair a rupture in his small intestines, but many more operations will be needed.

Matthews said his son suffered damage to one of the valves of his heart, has blood in his stomach, damage to his lungs, a broken leg, and many other injuries.

He said there are severe injuries to his son’s face that will take extensive surgeries to address the injuries to his face.

“They will need to rebuild his entire face, including his cheekbones, nose, and his eyes are swollen closed,” Matthews said. “It is just horrible. I don’t even recognize my son.”

Matthews said the other victims of the wreck, and the families of those who lost someone in the wreck, are in his thoughts.

“At this point, it really is a miracle that my son is alive,” he said. “But, this isn’t all about me because there are a lot of people impacted by this.”

According to police, the Dodge was traveling northbound and, for unknown reasons, crossed the centerline and struck the Avalanche head-on. In that stretch, the speed limit on the highway is 55 miles per hour.

The condition of the second survivor of the crash is still not known.

After the crash happened, long lines of traffic formed in each of the two lanes until police directed them on alternate routes and closed the highway. Spectators lined the side of the road several blocks from the wreck, with one Alpena Township resident telling The News that she had heard the accident from her home, which was even farther away from the crash.

She described the sound like a bomb going off.

Police and fire personnel walked the sides of the road and in the shallow ditch with flashlights searching for anything related to the accident.

Derrick Carroll, Seventh District public information officer, said it is likely they were searching for evidence of the cause of the wreck. He said it is unknown at this time if alcohol was involved in the crash.

This is the second head-on crash in just a touch over a month on U.S.-23 that resulted in multiple deaths.

On Feb. 7, a truck collided with a Thunder Bay Transportation bus on U.S.-23 North. The passenger in the truck died at the scene, while the driver of the truck and the driver of the bus died later at the MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena.

Drivers in Michigan are urged to utilize the following tip posted on the MSP website to help avoid crashes, especially when driving on a highway or expressway where motorists travel at higher rates of speed.

The website said everyone in a vehicle should wear a seatbelt and the driver should focus solely on the road and its surroundings. Maintaining the posted speed limit is recommended and more slowly if there is heavy traffic or poor road conditions.

Tailgating is also not recommended and using cell phones and other mobile electronic devices is against the law.

Keeping a first-aid kit in your vehicle is also recommended.