The Van Buren County Sheriff’s office reports a fatal crash happened last night in Antwerp township. Deputies were called just after 7:00 pm last night to a crash in the area of 62nd Avenue and 30th Street. When officers arrived, they located a Lincoln Navigator SUV that had crashed head on into a tree.
The driver, a 60-year-old Mattawan man was the sole occupant. He was unresponsive and declared dead at the scene. The initial investigation shows that the vehicle was east bound on 62nd avenue and failed to negotiate a slight curve in the roadway. The vehicle ran off the roadway and struck the tree.
Due to the extreme impact to the tree the trunk began to separate and it became a safety hazard for all personnel on scene. It was also determined to be a safety concern after the scene was cleared. In turn, the Van Buren County road commission closed 62nd avenue. The road will remain closed until they can safely remove the tree later today. It is believed that alcohol and speed were both factors in the crash and the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. The identity of the individual has not yet been released and the investigation is ongoing.
