A Wednesday morning crash in Lapeer County’s Deerfield Township claimed the life of a 61-year-old man.
The Lapeer County Sheriff’s Office reports that it was around 11:00 a.m. on July 12 when Russell Saylor of Otter Lake was traveling north on M-24 in his 2022 Jeep Compass when he began drifting over the centerline between Barnes Lake and Burnside Roads.
Witnesses say that Saylor may have been unresponsive behind the wheel. As he drifted, several southbound drivers managed to evade him, with a 65-year-old man from Leonard pulling off to the shoulder to avoid a head-on collision. Despite this, Saylor still sideswiped the other vehicle, his Jeep flipping sideways and then over, finally resting on its roof.
Saylor, who was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of impact, was pinned inside the wreckage, later being pronounced dead at the scene. According to the sheriff’s investigation thus far, alcohol and speeding are not considered factors in the crash.
Also assisting at the scene were the Lapeer County Reconstruction Team, Michigan State Police, Deerfield Township Fire and Rescue, the Columbiaville Fire Department and Lapeer County EMS Ambulance Service.
