VAN BUREN COUNTY, Mich. — A man was killed in a fiery car crash Tuesday evening after his vehicle went airborne and crashed into a tree in Van Buren County.
Deputies say the crash happened in the intersection of County Road 687 and County Road 342 around 8:45 p.m.
A 37-year-old man from the Sister Lakes area was driving a Volkswagen Jetta eastbound at about 70 mph, deputies say, when he passed through the intersection without slowing and went airborne. Investigators estimate the car traveled in the air for about 35 feet.
The car landed, bounced and traveled another 100 feet before crashing into a tree along the road, deputies say.
The man was trapped inside the vehicle. A woman who witnessed the crash called 911 and reported that the doors were locked and the vehicle was smoking.
First responders were unable to extricate the man when they arrived on scene because the vehicle had caught fire.
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
Deputies say he was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation at this time. Deputies say they will attempt to recover the car's event data recorder to learn more about the moments leading up to the crash.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office at 269-657-3101, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-342-7867 or Silent Observer at 269-343-2100.
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