Fatal Traffic Crash (Incident #25-5766)
Person Making Release: Lieutenant I. Dodd
• Date and Time of Incident: 03-15-25 at 0117 hrs
• Type of Incident: Fatal Traffic Crash (Incident #25-5766)
• Location of Incident: US 12 at S Redbud Trl in Bertrand Township, Berrien County, State of Michigan.
• Agencies Involved: Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Patrol, Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Niles Township, Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Accident Investigation Team, Michigan State Police, Bertrand Township Fire Department, Southwest Michigan Community Ambulance Service, WMed Office of the Medical Examiner, Berrien County Public Safety Dispatch Center.
Narrative:
On March 15 2025 at approximately 01:17 AM, Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to investigate a traffic collision near the intersection of US 12 and South Redbud Trail in Bertrand Township. Deputies arrived on scene and located a Jeep Wrangler on top of a Chrysler sedan, off of the roadway.
Deputies and medical first responders discovered the driver of the Chrysler was entrapped inside of the vehicle. Despite lifesaving efforts, the driver was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Jeep Wrangler was discovered to have been ejected from the vehicle. The driver of the Jeep Wrangler was transported to Corewell Health Lakeland Hospital in Niles, MI and later pronounced deceased.
The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Accident Investigation Team responded to investigate the collision. Preliminary findings indicate that the Chrysler sedan was traveling south on S Redbud Trl and failed to yield to the oncoming Jeep Wrangler traveling east bound on US 12, resulting in the collision.
The driver of the Jeep Wrangler has been identified as a 36-year-old male from Edwardsburg, MI. The driver of the Chrysler sedan has been identified as a 19-year-old male from Ames, IA.
Alcohol may have been a contributing factor to the collision. Both drivers appeared to have not been wearing seat belt restraints at the time of the collision. The collision remains under investigation by the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office.
