Two people are injured and a home has been severely damaged after an early Monday morning crash led to a house going up in flames.
Cass County Sheriff Richard Behnke reported Monday that a 33-year-old Niles resident Justin Miller was traveling south on Barron Lake Road in Howard Township when he struck the back of a vehicle driven by 55-year-old Dowagiac resident Janis Mix. His truck then traveled off the road, hit a mailbox then struck the gas line of a nearby house, causing the house and vehicle to go up in flames.
The homeowner did not sustain injuries from the crash or fire, and Miller was not in the vehicle when it caught on fire. Miller was transported by ambulance to Lakeland Niles hospital, while Mix went by private transportation to Lakeland Niles hospital, according to Behnke.
Seatbelts were worn at the time of the crash. It is unknown if drugs or alcohol were contributing factors in this crash. This crash remains under investigation.
Assisting agencies at the scene were the Michigan State Police, Howard Township Fire Department, Edwardsburg Fire Department, Buchanan Township Fire Department, Niles City Fire Department, Niles Township Fire Department, Pokagon Township Fire Department, Dowagiac Fire Department, Indian Lake Fire Department, Clay Fire Department, and SMCAS Ambulance.
