Motor Vehicle Pursuit with Traffic Crash & Injuries
• Person Making Release: Sgt. Jerad Phillips
• Date and Time of Incident: 4-24-26 @ approximately 1320 hours
• Type of Incident: Motor Vehicle Pursuit with Traffic Crash & Injuries
• Location of Incident: Territorial Rd. near N. Arent Rd. in Bainbridge Township
• Agencies Involved: Berrien County Sheriff’s Office, Michigan State Police Niles Post, Watervliet City Police Department, Coloma Township Police Department, Medic 1 Ambulance, Sister Lakes Fire Department & Berrien County Dispatch
Narrative:
On 4-24-26 at approximately 1320 hours, a deputy with the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Secondary Road Patrol traffic unit attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Territorial Rd. near N. Pike Rd. in Benton Township, Berrien County, Michigan for a Michigan Motor Vehicle code violation.
The vehicle, a Dodge Grand Caravan failed to pull over and subsequently increased their speed and fled from the deputy. The deputy was in a fully marked Berrien County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle with emergency lights and sirens activated. The suspect vehicle continued to flee eastbound on Territorial Rd. at speeds more than 110mph while disregarding several stop signs.
While the suspect vehicle was fleeing, the suspect vehicle failed to negotiate the curved roadway on Territorial Rd. near N. Arent Rd. in Bainbridge Township, Berrien County. The suspect vehicle then crossed the center line and ran off the roadway to the left, collided with a tree and overturned.
The suspect was the sole occupant of the vehicle and was wearing their seatbelt at the time of the collision. The suspect sustained serious injuries and was transported to Corewell Health Lakeland Hospital in Saint Joseph, MI for immediate medical treatment and later airlifted to Corewell Health Grand Rapids - Buttersworth Hospital.
The suspect was identified as a 20-year-old male from Lawton, MI who will not be identified until he is formally charged and arraigned.
The crash investigation was handled by the Michigan State Police. Upon completion of the investigation, criminal charges against the suspect will be presented to the Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
