Holland Township, MI (July 5, 2026) – A 52-year-old man from Alto was killed Friday, July 3, in a head-on collision between a pickup truck and an off-road vehicle at the intersection of Falmouth and Dorr roads in Holland Township. The wreck was reported at approximately 5:39 p.m.
A second person was taken to Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital with serious injuries. Neither person was identified in the initial report on the crash.
The pickup truck driver left the scene after the collision. A tip to county dispatch led investigators to the truck’s location, where a 37-year-old Falmouth man was arrested. He was lodged in the Missaukee County Jail on charges including operating while intoxicated causing death, OWI causing serious injury, and tampering with evidence. He was expected to be arraigned on Monday in the 84th District Court. The accident remains under formal review.
Our deepest condolences go out to the family of the man who lost his life, and we hope the person hurt makes as full a recovery as possible.
What Charges Can Follow a Fatal Drunk Driving Crash in Michigan?
When a driver is suspected of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and that decision results in a death, Michigan law allows for serious criminal charges that go well beyond a standard OWI. Operating while intoxicated, causing death, is a felony offense that carries the possibility of significant prison time upon conviction. The severity of the charge reflects the legal recognition that choosing to drive impaired and killing someone as a result is treated as a grave criminal act, not simply a traffic violation.
When a second person in the same crash is seriously hurt, an additional charge, OWI causing serious injury, can be filed alongside the death-related count. These charges are assessed separately, meaning a driver can face multiple felony counts from a single crash if more than one person was harmed. Michigan courts treat these cases with the same weight as other serious violent offenses.
Leaving the scene of a fatal crash adds another layer of criminal exposure. Tampering with evidence, as alleged in this case, can indicate an attempt to conceal the vehicle, alter its condition, or otherwise interfere with the investigation. Fleeing and evidence-related charges are typically prosecuted alongside the underlying OWI counts, and they can influence both the charges filed and the outcome at sentencing.
