A Van Buren County man was killed Sunday morning when his vehicle crashed into a tractor trailer on Sparta Highway.
The victim, Daniel Caldwell, 32, was fatally injured in the pre-dawn collision that occurred at the intersection of Sparta Highway (Highway 70) and Rock Island Road (Highway 136).
According to highway patrolman Gary Myers, the wreck happened around 3:30 a.m. Sunday as Caldwell was crossing Sparta Highway from Rock Island Road.
“He was heading home,” Myers said. “He lived pretty close to where the wreck happened.”
The investigation of the wreck scene revealed Caldwell was traveling at a relatively fast speed when he crossed Sparta Highway and failed to yield to the highway traffic. Vehicles traveling on Sparta Highway have the right of way at the intersection.
“He was crossing over to go onto Victor J. Young Road,” said Myers, noting Caldwell apparently failed to see the oncoming tractor trailer driven by Jorge Morelia, 29, of Hillis Trucking.
The vehicles collided in the intersection with Caldwell’s Chrysler Pacifica striking the side of the loaded tractor trailer with enough force to knock it off its axle. The vehicles then continued onto the shoulder where they both crashed and overturned.
The driver of the truck was taken to River Park Hospital for examination but escaped serious injury. He was transporting a load of nursery stock. Investigators and clean-up crews remained at the scene for most of Sunday.
Myers said there was no indication of alcohol use, although he noted excessive speed in the intersection on the part of Caldwell contributed to the crash.