A 75-year-old Clarkston man was hit and killed this past Saturday, December 3, while attempting to cross M-24 on foot.
Gerald Avery was in North Branch to visit friends, parking at a shopping plaza on the east side of M-24, south of Burnside Road earlier Saturday. After visiting the home located on M-24’s west side, the man started the walk back around 7:15 p.m., but as he walked off the home’s driveway, he walked into the path of a 48-year-old North Branch woman driving south in a Chevrolet Silverado 2500 pickup.
According to police, Avery hit the left front corner of the vehicle, later being found in the center turn lane, with the pickup pulled along the road’s west shoulder. While the woman did not report any injuries, Avery was rushed to McLaren Lapeer Region Hospital by Lapeer County EMS before transfer to Flint’s Hurley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead early Sunday morning.
Investigation thus far shows no evidence of speeding or drinking, noting that the crash happened after sundown in an area without street lighting. The Lapeer County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Michigan State Police, Deerfield Fire and Rescue, Lapeer County EMS and the Lapeer County Reconstruction Team.
