Fatal Traffic Crash - US 31 Bypass

• Person Making Release:             Lt Thad Chartrand  

• Date and Time of Incident:        07/19/2025  @1:30 pm

• Type of Incident:                        Fatal Traffic Crash

• Location of Incident:                  US 31 Bypass northbound near Walton Rd

• Agencies Involved:

Berrien County Sheriffs Office, Berrien County Sheriff Traffic crash unit, Michigan State Police, SMCAS Ambulance, Niles Twp Fire, Western Michigan Medical Examiner’s Office, Buchanan City Police     

Narrative:

     On July 19, 2025, at approximately 9:16am, emergency personnel were dispatched to the US 31 Bypass Northbound near the 7-mile marker (Walton Rd) in Niles Township for a vehicle crash that witnesses stated had rolled over with a person entrapped inside.  Upon arrival, police could not gain entry into a vehicle that was on it’s roof blocking both northbound lanes.  Niles Township Fire arrived and were able to use extrication tools to gain access to the inside of a 2012 Lincoln MK-Z 4 door car.  Once inside, paramedics found the driver and only occupant of the vehicle deceased from injuries suffered in the crash.

Crash investigators were called to the scene to try to determine the cause of the crash and process for evidence.  Witnesses stated that a 2012 Lincoln MK-Z was travelling northbound at a very high rate of speed and tried to pass another vehicle on the right shoulder.  After passing the other vehicle the Lincoln was getting back in the right lane and struck the front of a 2018 Mitsubishi Mirage causing it to run off the roadway and slide into the ditch eventually striking a 3 foot diameter concrete bridge support.  After it struck the bridge support it shot back into traffic and landed on the front hood of the Mitsubishi.  The Lincoln came to rest on it’s hood.

The deceased driver of the Lincoln was Identified as 21-year-old Cole Toney of St Joseph.  The driver of the other vehicle was identified as a 76-year-old Patricia Rummel out of Niles.  Rummel suffered minor injuries.

The crash remains under investigation.  It appears that speed is a factor in this early morning collision.