A stormy stretch of M-43 turned deadly last Friday when two SUVs collided head-on near 46th Street in Waverly Township, leaving a 37-year-old Lawrence woman dead and three others hospitalized with serious injuries. Deputies say heavy rain and near-zero visibility turned the rural highway into a hazard zone, and the road was shut down for hours while crews worked the scene.
What Deputies Say Happened
According to the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office, deputies were called out around 11:30 p.m. last Friday for a crash on M-43 near 46th Street in Waverly Township. Investigators said a westbound SUV crossed the centerline and slammed into an eastbound SUV head-on. Each vehicle had two people inside, and the driver who crossed the centerline, a 37-year-old woman from Lawrence, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Victims And Hospitalizations
Deputies identified the passenger in the westbound SUV as a 27-year-old woman from Lawrence. The eastbound SUV was driven by an 18-year-old man from Kalamazoo, with an 18-year-old woman from White Pigeon riding with him. All three survivors were taken to local hospitals with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, as reported by News4SanAntonio.
Investigation And Tips
M-43 was shut down for roughly four hours while deputies, crash investigators, and emergency crews documented the scene and cleared the wreckage. Officials said the heavy rainfall and sharply reduced visibility likely played a role in the collision. The investigation is still active, and the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information to contact them or Crime Stoppers.
Roads And Weather Context
M-43 is a state trunkline that runs through Van Buren and Kalamazoo counties and includes long two-lane stretches where sudden storms can make centerline crossings especially dangerous, according to Wikipedia. Local officials frequently warn that fast-moving summer downpours can quickly knock down visibility and spike the risk of head-on crashes on rural highways.
