Allegan Co
unty Sheri
ff’s authorities arrested a motorist for fleeing police and suspected drunken driving in an incident early Saturday morning that resulted in a fatal traffic crash.
An officer from the Gun Lake Tribal Police Department said he was taking an arrested man to the Allegan County Jail on south bound US-131 when he observed a vehicle pass him at a high rate of speed, nearly sideswiping him. The officer immediately contacted county dispatch to alert other officers of the reckless driving behavior.
An Allegan County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was at the exit to the City of Wayland observed the vehicle exit the highway and head east on 135th Avenue. The deputy tried to conduct a stop on the vehicle, but it accelerated to a high rate of speed and continued eastbound. The deputy lost sight of the vehicle, but continued pursuit on 135th Avenue, eventually finding what appeared to be the vehicle rolled over in the ditch near 4th Street in Wayland Township.
The driver of the vehicle was contacted by the officer while entrapped in the vehicle, however, he was belligerent and uncooperative.
At about the same time, Allegan Central Dispatch received a 911 call from a subject whose vehicle had just been struck by another in the immediate area of the rollover crash. The deputy and an officer from the Wayland Police Department immediately searched the area and found a second vehicle that had rolled over into a dense tree line, making it virtually impossible to see.
This vehicle had three passengers, one of which was found to be ejected and was determined to be dead at the scene. The other two passengers were extricated and rushed to Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids one in serious condition, the other in critical condition.
Meanwhile, the driver of the fleeing vehicle was determined to be intoxicated and was treated and released from Allegan General Hospital. He is now lodged at the Allegan County Jail pending being formally charged. The name of the suspect driver, from the Wayland area, will be released at the time of arraignment.
Names of the passengers from the vehicle that he struck will be released once proper notifications have been made. All involved were wearing seat belts except the deceased individual, who was a rear seat passenger in the struck vehicle.
The crash remains under investigation. The sheriff’s office was assisted by the Gun Lake Tribal Police, the Michigan State Police, the Wayland Police Dept., the Wayland Fire Dept., and Wayland Area Ambulance.
