MANISTEE COUNTY — A traffic crash involving three vehicles happened on US-31 near Fox Farm Road in Filer Township Wednesday morning at 10:39 a.m. Two drivers came away with minor injuries. At the same time, deputies were responding to a theft incident connected to the crash, leading to a vehicle chase and an arrest.
According to a Dec. 31 Manistee Sheriff’s Office news release, the collision involved a Chevrolet Cruze driven by a 25-year-old man from Bear Lake, a Dodge Durango driven by a 28-year-old woman from Manistee and a Tesla driven by a 45-year-old woman from Ludington. Emergency services were called to the scene, where two of the drivers were taken to local hospitals with minor injuries. As deputies arrived, they learned that a passenger from the Chevrolet Cruze had stolen a good Samaritan’s vehicle.
The passenger, identified as a 39-year-old man from South Boardman, fled the scene in a Nissan Versa parked nearby. This vehicle, owned by O’Reilly Auto Parts, was tracked using a GPS device that ultimately assisted law enforcement in locating it swiftly. At approximately 11:24 a.m., a Michigan State Police sergeant spotted the stolen Nissan Versa traveling westbound on US-10 near Dennis Road. When the officer attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver fled the scene, initiating a car chase that continued onto US-31. The chase when the suspect’s vehicle ran out of gas just north of the Shelby Road exit on US-31. The suspect was apprehended by law enforcement without further incident and will be held at the Manistee County Jail pending medical clearance post-arrest.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing. Authorities are expected to release further information as it becomes available.