NEWS RELEASE
MICHIGAN STATE POLICE
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On Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at approximately 6:19 a.m. a trooper from the Michigan State Police (MSP) Gaylord Post was on patrol in Star Township on Alba Highway near Olds Road. The trooper was travelling west bound behind a commercial box truck when an east bound SUV driven by a 24-year-old Gaylord man crossed the center line and struck the commercial box truck head-on. The driver of the truck, a 54-year-old man from Atlanta, attempted to slow down, but was unable to avoid the SUV. The at-fault driver did not attempt to brake or slow down prior to the crash.
The 24-year-old at-fault driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The 54-year-old truck driver refused medical treatment; however, his employer transported him to a local hospital for evaluation and post-crash drug and alcohol screening as per his company’s policy.
Troopers were assisted by deputies from the Antrim and Otsego County Sheriff’s Office, officers from the Mancelona and Gaylord Police Departments, Star Township Fire Department, Mancelona Fire Department, and Star Township EMS. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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