Woman says speeding ticket in snowstorm is unfair

Ottawa County - I-196 in Zeeland was slippery and snow-covered when Debra Johnson headed back home to Grand Rapids Sunday, February 11th.

"There was a white-out and all of a sudden there was a car in front of me and a semi to the right of me and so it was the semi or the car and I just hit the car," says Johnson.

Johnson's car was the last in a six-car pile-up.

She suffered a fracture and a torn tendon which required surgery. She is recuperating at home and has received several get-well cards from friends and something else - a ticket from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department. It cites Johnson for speeding.

"I was kind of shocked,? said Johnson. "I had already slowed down because I knew the area."

Johnson said she was driving between 35 and 40 miles per hour. She says she didn't want to go too slow for fear of being hit herself. Johnson explained this to the trooper who issued the citation.

"He said 'I was out there for 12 hours and I didn't hit anybody.'"

Johnson says she has a good record. She drives a school bus for a living and is always cautious.

"I've had so much training and that's why I try to control my vehicle."

She plans to contest the ticket and hopes when she heals she'll return to work with no points on her record.

WZZM 13 contacted the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department. Nobody was available for any official comment on this incident. Johnson added however that she was not singled out. All six drivers were issued tickets.