Deputies: Man dies in Byron Twp. car fire
BYRON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A Kentwood man died Tuesday morning in a car fire, deputies say.
It happened just before 8 a.m. on 68th Street by Clay Avenue, in Byron Township, according to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office.
A Jeep heading east caught fire, deputies say. Witnesses said they heard an explosion. When first responders arrived, they found the vehicle on fire and a person dead inside, according to the sheriff’s office.
“It appears from some of the physical evidence that that fire or small explosion that occurred in that Jeep occurred, and then that Jeep continued for just a short while on the roadway and came to rest over the bridge,” said Sgt. Eric Brunner with the sheriff’s office.
Deputies said the driver was a 42-year-old man from Kentwood. His name was not released Tuesday.
“The 42-year-old who was driving, it was not his vehicle,” Brunner said. “But it was registered to his family. So yes, they have been made aware and are working alongside our investigators during the tragic time that they’re going through.”
It’s not yet clear what caused the fire. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office, Cutlerville Fire Department, Michigan State Police and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating.
“We don’t have any specific information that would lead us to believe that this is a malicious intent type of thing,” Brunner said. “We just don’t have a lot of information, so that’s why we’re really going to depend on those fire investigators to come up with what items were found in there. Was there any trace substances that were found?”
Anyone with information is asked to call deputies at 616.632.6125 or Silent Observer at 616.774.2345.
— News 8’s Meghan Bunchman contributed to this report.
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