Police respond to three-vehicle accident

POKAGON TOWNSHIP — Police responded to a three-vehicle accident that occurred Friday afternoon in Pokagon Township, according to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities with the department responded to a reported accident at the intersection of Pokagon Highway and Dailey Road outside Dowagiac around 1:08 p.m.

The crash occurred when 42-year-old Freddy Shawn Floyd, of Galien, was driving north on Dailey Road and failed to yield at the intersection of Pokagon Highway. A second vehicle, traveling west on Pokagon Highway, struck Floyd’s vehicle, which rolled over.

A trailer Floyd was pulling then struck a third vehicle that had stopped at the intersection, waiting to turn left on Pokagon Highway.

All injuries sustained by the drivers and passengers were treated at the scene.  Seatbelts were worn and alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the accident, police said.

Officers with the Pokagon Tribal Police Department and crews with the Pokagon Township Fire Department and Life Care Ambulance assisted deputies at the scene.
Three abandon ship after boat capsizes on

PENN TOWNSHIP — Three people were forced to abandon their fishing boat after the vessel capsized on Belas Lake in Penn Township Saturday, according to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies with the department were dispatched to a reported boating accident around 4:41 p.m. that day.

The accident occurred when a boat operated by 43-year-old Leonard Baldwin, of Dowagiac, capsized after the vessel took on too much water and began sinking due to the high waves and wind speed. Baldwin’s two passengers, 40-year-old Brent Baldwin and 25-year-old Kelvin Tweedy, both of Niles, realized the boat was about to capsize and jumped out of the boat in order to swim to shore to call for help.

Baldwin was still out in the water when authorities arrived. First responders rescued him with another vessel and brought him to shore.

No injuries were reported in the accident. Type 4 Personal Floatation Devices were on board the vessel, police said.
Man injured after mower
struck by vehicle in driveway

MASON TOWNSHIP — An Edwardsburg man was hospitalized after the mower he was operating was struck by a vehicle in his driveway Saturday in Mason Township, according to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies with the sheriff’s office were dispatched to the accident around 5:41 p.m. that afternoon to a residence located on the 19000 block of South Metcalf Court.

Fourty-four-year-old Joseph Barnett was driving his mower across a driveway when 61-year-old Darlene Pratt, of Elkhart, struck the man with her vehicle while she was driving to the road. Neither Barnett nor Pratt saw each other before the crash occurred.

Barnett was transported to Elkhart General Hospital for treatment.

The case remains under investigation.