Passenger resists arrest in Sunday crash

Jan. 10—ACME TOWNSHIP — A driver and his passenger were arrested after the vehicle they were in crashed into a moose statue in front of Woodland Creek Furniture store in Acme Township Saturday.

The 28 year-old Kalkaska driver was taken into custody; his 30-year-old passenger from Rapid City had to be tased before Grand Traverse County sheriff's deputies could make the arrest.

Capt. Randy Fewless said the driver told deputies that he was southbound on US-31 N when he dropped a cigarette in his car, causing him to become distracted and veer into the center lane. Then, he traveled across all lanes before driving onto the lawn of the furniture store and "damaging decorations and part of the building," Fewless said.

The driver later told police he had smoked marijuana earlier that morning before getting in the car.

The passenger allegedly gave deputies a fake name when they first asked him to identify himself. After looking him up in the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN), deputies said they found he had several warrants out for his arrest in Kalkaska County.

The Rapid City man told deputies, "No, I am not going to jail," the report states.

Deputies on the scene said he resisted arrest, so they had to tase him to get handcuffs on him. Once he was cuffed, he began trying to escape the handcuffs and resisting arrest again, Fewless said.

Both men were eventually lodged in jail, but Fewless was unable to confirm if the Rapid City man was in the Grand Traverse or Kalkaska County.

The driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, driving on a suspended license and driving with no insurance, court records showed.

His passenger was arrested on his previous warrants, resisting and obstructing an arrest and assaulting a police officer.

Fewless did not know what the Kalkaska County warrants were for in the case of Rapid City man.

Both men are currently in custody awaiting arraignment. The case is under investigation.