GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A man has been charged in the death of a 7-year-old boy who was the son of a Cascade Township firefighter.
Matthew Arthur Klaasen, 22, was charged with a single count of moving violation causing death for the incident which occurred on June 13.
Moving violation causing death is a misdemeanor charge with a maximum penalty of one year in jail and/or a $2,000 fine.
The child was identified as Ryan Marsman of Cascade Township. Reports said that Marsman was riding his bike with his father on a bike path along Cascade Road. The two stopped and started to cross Laraway Lake when the boy was hit by a pickup truck turning west.
Deputies said the boy was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, and did not believe drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.
The Cascade Firefighters' Association said on Facebook that Ryan is the son of one of their firefighters. They also shared a GoFundMe to help the family with medical costs and funeral arrangements.
Cascade Township Manager Ben Swayze issued this statement about the crash in June:
Our deepest condolences go out to the family at this most difficult of times. An incident like this saddens all of us, Township staff, residents and our community alike. Cascade Township will fully cooperate as the investigation continues.
This incident strikes especially close to home, since this is the child of one of our own team members. Out of respect for their privacy, we are not planning to release a name or further information at this time.
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