There’s a reason Dean Slowik fastens his seatbelt every time he climbs into his Slowik Refrigeration Service cargo van, and he was able to walk away from a serious accident this morning because of it.
Slowik, who has owned and operated Slowik Refrigeration of Benton Harbor for years, was uninjured in a collision on northbound I-196 near mile marker 5 around 8:30 this morning when a Grand Rapids man slammed into the driver’s side of his Ford Cargo van.
Troopers from the Michigan State Police Niles Post are investigating the fatal traffic crash that occurred this morning, Wednesday, April 14th, when preliminary investigations at the scene revealed that the driver of a small Chevy HHR truck was traveling southbound on I-196 when witnesses observed the vehicle slowly drift across the median. Police say the vehicle then reentered the roadway directly into the path of northbound traffic and collided into the driver’s side Slowik’s service van traveling northbound.
The driver of the Chevy HHR truck, a 35-year-old man from Grand Rapids, was taken to Memorial Hospital in South Bend, but later died from his injuries. The 75-year old Slowik, from Benton Harbor, was uninjured in the crash.
State Police say that both drivers were wearing seatbelts and that alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash. The name of the deceased driver is being withheld pending notification of his family..
The Michigan State Police were assisted at the scene by the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department, Coloma Police Department, North Berrien Fire Rescue, and both Medic One and Pride Care ambulance. The crash research remains open pending further investigation, lab analysis, and a prosecutor’s review.
