A tragic collision at the intersection of M-66 and B Drive South in Leroy Township, Calhoun County, resulted in one fatality and left another individual injured on Wednesday, as reported by multiple sources. The accident occurred around 1:40 p.m. and involved a Lincoln SUV and a transit van, according to WOODTV. Authorities identified the deceased as a 71-year-old Battle Creek man who was driving the SUV.
Troopers shared that the SUV failed to obey the traffic signal while traveling east on B Drive South, leading to the collision with the van, which was heading south on M-66. The force of the crash claimed the life of the SUV's driver, who, not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, and was found dead at the scene. MLive reported that the van driver, a 51-year-old man from East Leroy, sustained injuries that were not viewed as life-threatening.
The incident compelled authorities to close the road for approximately three and a half hours to manage the aftermath and conduct preliminary investigations. It was noted that investigators do not suspect alcohol or drugs to be factors in this unfortunate event. The involved parties' names were withheld by the Michigan State Police at the time of the reports.
The injured van driver, while wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, was transported to Bronson Methodist Hospital for treatment of his injuries. Offering assistance at the scene, local police departments from Battle Creek and Emmet Township, along with firefighters from Leroy and Newton townships, converged to aid in the emergency response efforts, as MLive conveyed in their coverage. The names of those involved in the crash were not released, which the Michigan State Police continue to investigate, said the State Police.
