By By BEN RAYMOND LODE / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- A 58-year-old Buchanan man died at Lakeland Hospital in Niles after having been involved in a two-vehicle collision on South 11th Street on Wednesday afternoon.
Lawrence Paskiet, 609 W. Fourth St., Buchanan, was travelling southbound in a 1993 Ford Escort when Leon Smith, 32, 835 Ansley Drive, St. Joseph, pulled out onto South 11th Street from Fort Street, a Niles City Police Department press release said.
The accident occurred at 1:44 p.m.
Ansley was driving a 2000 Dodge Caravan.
At the time the press release was issued, it was unknown if a medical condition or trauma was the cause of death.
Police say the cause of death is under investigation.
Ansley was transported to Lakeland Hospital in Niles where he was treated and released after the accident.
The cause of the accident is also under investigation.
The Niles City Police Department is being assisted by Niles Township Police and Michigan State Police.
In other police reports:
A township police press release issued on Thursday said the jewelry was recovered when township police investigated a home located at 2908 N. Fifth St., in Niles Township.
The jewelry was recovered from the suspect's vehicle which was allegedly involved in the recent burglary.
The township police said suspects involved with the burglary will be arrested on the warrants and charged with burglary.
The residence that was broken into was allegedly totally ransacked and sustained a lot of damage.
Forensic evidence found at the crime scene has allegedly identified the suspects.
Roger Lee Mervine Jr., 26, 2951 Hoyt St., Niles, was arrested after police officers noticed the expiration date on the license plate of the vehicle he was driving expired in July 2003.
The officers made a traffic stop at Seventh and Howard streets.
Mervine was arrested and transported to the Niles City Police Department where he was booked and lodged with a $100 bond.
Toni Darcille Murphy, 29, 1629 Michigan St., Niles, was arrested after police officers observed Murphy driving on Fourth, Street, approaching Ferry Street.
The officers recognized the car because Murphy had allegedly eluded officers twice last week.
The officers made a traffic stop, but as they approached the vehicle Murphy walked away and allegedly started to run.
One of the officers took foot pursuit on Fifth Street.
While one of the officers pursued Murphy with his police dog, the other officers found a female and a child in the back seat of Murphy's vehicle.
Murphy was eventually arrested behind a residence on Fifth Street. Murphy was transported to the Niles City Police Department where he was booked and lodged with no bond.