A man is dead and his wife remains hospitalized after the car they were riding in left Main Street in Romeo and slammed into a tree Monday afternoon. Police are now trying to determine whether a medical emergency struck the driver just before the crash.
The single-vehicle crash happened at about 5 p.m. Monday at the intersection of southbound Main Street and W. Hollister Street, according to Macomb Daily. The driver apparently left the roadway before crashing into a tree, per the same account. He was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His wife, who was riding as a passenger, was hospitalized as well, though her condition was not disclosed.
Police have not released the names of the married couple. The roads were closed for roughly five hours before reopening at about 10 p.m. Monday as officers worked the scene.
Investigators Point to Possible Medical Emergency
Romeo Police Chief Kevin Roy said the investigation centers on whether the driver experienced a medical emergency before the crash occurred. Roy said evidence found at the scene led investigators toward that theory, telling the outlet, “There were some things found at the scene which leads us to believe that’s what caused this.” That possibility has not been confirmed, and the department has not offered further detail on what was found.
An autopsy was scheduled to be performed Tuesday by the Macomb County Medical Examiner’s Office, the report noted. The office handles unexpected or trauma-related deaths and is responsible for determining cause and manner of death, according to the Macomb County Medical Examiner. Under Michigan law, the office does not need permission from next of kin before conducting an autopsy, per its own guidance.
Separate Clinton Township Crash Also Involved a Married Couple
The Romeo crash was not the only one this week to involve a husband and wife on Macomb County roads. A separate crash on Groesbeck Highway near North Avenue in Clinton Township left a woman with fatal injuries, the same report states. The male driver in that crash was reported to be in critical condition in an intensive care unit at an area hospital, and both occupants were reported to have been ejected from the vehicle, according to social media reports cited in the article. Clinton Township police did not release any information on that incident.
