Troopers Locate Hit And Run Driver From Branch County Case
Michigan State Police Troopers are reporting a break in the hit and run crash where three children on bicycles were run down Monday afternoon just outside the Village of Sherwood in Branch County. Troopers say an alert area resident directed troopers working the case to a residence near Sturgis. There, troopers found a silver 2005 Chevy Equinox with damages matching the description they originally used, asking for help to locate the suspect vehicle and driver.
While that was going on, physicians at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo continued to care for one of the children who suffered life-threatening injuries and remains in critical condition. Another sibling has had surgery for a serious leg injury. The third child from the family struck by the hit-and-run driver was not seriously hurt.
A friend of the family involved has established a Go Fund Me page to help with mounting medical expenses. As of early this morning, it had already raised more than $26,000.
State troopers say they have a lot of work to finish in the case. They’ve impounded the vehicle from the residents near Sturgis and evidence technicians are going over it. The suspected 42-year-old driver voluntarily submitted to a blood draw and Troopers are expecting test results to be returned soon. That work will be handled by the State Police Crime Lab in Lansing. The suspected driver’s cell phone is also in the hands of Troopers. The State Police Computer Crimes Unit in Marshall is reviewing data from the phone to see if there is any information it holds that can shed light on the crime. So far the suspected driver has not been arrested in the case.