Motorcycle Found Under Burning Truck 

Michigan State Police recently responded to a vehicle fire in Reynolds Township, Montcalm County. It was just after midnight when firefighters were able to extinguish the flames that had engulfed a pickup truck on the side of the road. But it was what they discovered after the fire was out that surprised them.

Wedged under the charred body of the truck was a motorcycle. And it was about then that the deputies on the scene were alerted to a nearby motorcycle accident. Deputies left the scene of the fire and sought out the scene of the accident, only to discover an injured biker…with no bike.

Investigation revealed that the driver of the pick up truck had struck the biker at the intersection of M-82 and US-131, but hadn’t stopped. Instead, he continued driving away from the scene, dragging the motorcycle that was trapped under his vehicle for nearly two miles until it finally caught fire.

The motorcyclist, who is extremely lucky to have avoided being pinned under the truck with his bike, was transported to a hospital in Grand Rapids. His name has not yet been released, although authorities have said that he is a 58-year-old man from Howard City in Reynolds Township. No details have been made public regarding his condition.

The truck driver, 43-year-old Jeremy Gard of Stanwood, was arrested and transported to the Montcalm County Jail. He is currently being held on a $10,000 cash surety bond. There was apparently also a passenger in the truck at the time. No details have been released about the passenger other than the fact that they were not harmed in the collision or the ensuing fire.

Gard has been charged with a single count of driving while intoxicated causing serious injury, and also failure to stop at the scene of an accident. Under Michigan law, both of these charges are felonies and are punishable by up to five years in prison.