A crash on Tuesday afternoon has left a Hartland Township man dead.

The accident happened on Grand River, east of Burkhart Road in Howell Township around 1:20pm. Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy told WHMI the crash involved a 2001 Jeep Cherokee driven by a 72-year-old Hartland man and a 2015 Mazda, driven by a 53-year-old Fowlerville woman whose 56-year-old husband was a passenger.

Murphy says preliminary investigation revealed the two drivers were doing a little bit of jockeying for a position, as that portion of Grand River is where two lanes become one. He says ultimately there was a collision that forced the Jeep to lose control, roll over, hit a telephone pole, a tree and a cement pillar along the way. The Hartland man was pronounced deceased at the scene. The accident investigation resulted in both directions of Grand River being closed at Burkhart Road for roughly three hours.

Murphy says the investigation continues but he anticipates it could be a lengthy process. Once the report is complete, results will be sent to the Livingston County Prosecutor’s Office, which will determine if there is the potential for any criminal changes there. (JM)