Bertrand Township, MI (July 14, 2026) – A 57-year-old St. Joseph man died after his Jeep Cherokee crossed the median on US-12 and entered oncoming traffic near the US-31 bypass in Bertrand Township, Berrien County. Three other people were hurt in the multi-vehicle wreck.
The Jeep crossed into westbound US-12 and collided with a Hyundai Sonata that had just turned onto the highway from the northbound US-31 exit ramp. A Ford F-350 then struck the Jeep on the passenger side. The Jeep’s driver was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene. The Hyundai driver sustained minor injuries, and those in the pickup were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators believe speed was a factor in the crash. The victim’s identity had not been officially released as of the initial report on the accident, and no charges have been announced.
US-12 was shut down in the area while emergency units and crash reconstruction specialists worked the scene. The wreck remains under active investigation. We extend our sincere condolences to the family of the man who lost his life.
What Happens When Speed Is Identified as a Factor in a Fatal Median-Crossing Crash?
When investigators identify speed as a contributing factor in a crash, that finding shapes the direction of the reconstruction effort. Crash reconstruction specialists use vehicle damage, skid marks, and final resting positions to calculate approximate speeds at the moment of impact and in the seconds before. These calculations help determine whether excessive speed caused the driver to lose control or prevented a correction once the vehicle began moving toward the median.
Median-crossing crashes are among the most studied fatal collision types in traffic safety research. On undivided highways or those with low-profile medians, a vehicle traveling at high speed has a greater chance of clearing the median entirely and reaching oncoming lanes before anything can stop it. Physical median barriers and cable systems are designed to reduce this risk, but their presence varies widely across road classifications and funding levels.
Ejection from a vehicle significantly reduces the chances of surviving a high-speed crash. When a vehicle crosses a median and collides with oncoming traffic, the forces involved can be extreme, and an occupant who is not retained inside the vehicle’s protective frame has no buffer against the road surface or secondary impacts. Crash reconstruction teams carefully document ejection paths, as they provide important information about the vehicle’s movement during the collision sequence.
