Fire/Rescue

The Cass County Sheriff ’s Department is investigating a single-vehicle crash that occurred around 10 p.m. Tuesday on Calvin Center Road. Richard Farkas, 55, of Edwardsburg, told deputies he tried to avoid hitting an animal. That caused him to drive off the road, cross back over the center line before overturning in a ditch on the west side of the …

Speed was a factor in a single-vehicle accident that resulted in injuries to four people Monday in Lockport Township. Members of the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said the incident occurred shortly before 7 o’clock Monday night on Schweitzer Road, west of Holtom Road. Investigators said a Pontiac passenger car driven by an 18-year-old Sturgis woman was westbound on Schweitzer …

Investigators from the Cass County Sheriff’s Department have identified the driver and vehicle involved in a fatal hit-and-run incident over the weekend. Sheriff Joe Underwood said evidence and witness statements have helped with the investigation into the death of 25-year-old Duke Gowens of Cassopolis. He was struck by a northbound car at 1:20 a.m. Sunday on M-40, north of Withers …

A Sturgis metal-finishing company was destroyed by fire early Tuesday. The Sturgis Fire Department responded shortly after 5 a.m. to Grav-I-Flow Inc., at 4000 Norwood Avenue. According to fire officials, they arrived to the scene and witnessed 30-foot flames shooting from the roof of the building. Due to the magnitude of the fire, assistance was rendered from three area agencies: …

A Dowagiac man was found dead after being involved in a single-car accident at 3 a.m. Wednesday in Wayne Township. Cass County Sheriff Joe Underwood said deputies responded to Lakeview Drive, near Woodlawn Road, after a witness had contacted central dispatch to advise that he had come upon a vehicle off the roadway. Underwood said John Shilney, 74, was unresponsive …

Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department were called Tuesday morning to a one-vehicle accident in Mendon Township. Shortly after midnight, deputies responded to the 22000 block of Marcellus Road, where a vehicle had crashed into a tree. The driver, whose name, age and community of residence was not listed in a department media release, lost control of his …

The driver of a car that flipped during an accident Tuesday in Sherman Township was hospitalized due to injuries suffered in the one-vehicle accident. According to a media release from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, the incident occurred shortly before 4 a.m. Tuesday in the 21000 block of Banker Road. The driver lost control of his vehicle at the …

Two residents at Riverside Townhouses, at 1200 Hov Aire Drive, were left homeless after a fire early Saturday night. The fire was reported in apartment 101 about 6:45 p.m. Investigators said the fire originated in the kitchen and is believed to have started because of careless cooking. No other residents were affected. Meanwhile, Centreville firefighters were called shortly after 10 …

A two-vehicle accident last week in Fabius Township resulted in two people seeking medical treatment at the hospital. State police said Three Rivers resident Thomas Sayer, 78, was heading east on M-60 when he failed to stop at the U.S. 131 intersection. His vehicle struck a southbound SUV driven by Mary Carr, 77, of White Pigeon. Carr and Sayer, who …

A Cassopolis man died Wednesday afternoon in a crash in Cass County’s Mason Township. The victim was identified as 72-year-old Wayne Owen. He was reportedly northbound on Cassopolis Road when his vehicle left the road and struck a tree. According to Owen’s family, he had a history of heart related illness. He was pronounced dead at the scene.