Car crash totals Dussel’s farm stand days after fire

Published 4:29 pm Wednesday, November 7, 2018

CASSOPOLIS — At approximately 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, police officers were sent to the scene of an automobile accident which took place at the Dussel’s Farm Market in Cassopolis.

Cass County Central Dispatch reported the vehicle, which was carrying three people, hit the farm stand. One or all of the passengers fled the scene, according to CCD, and by 4 p.m. one subject was still not found by police.

The accident and police pursuit took place just three days after the farm stand of Dussel’s Farm Market caught fire, devastating the inside of the building and destroying an estimated $100,000 in goods. Despite the devastation of the fire, preparation for reopening, and an automobile accident on the premises, owner Mark Dussel was available for comment.

“It came off M-60 and went through one of the greenhouses. It totaled it,” Dussel said.

As it happened, the vehicle missed the burned out farm stand and went straight into the very greenhouse where the Dussel’s team was preparing to reopen. The family had hoped to reopen in a little over a week after the fire, which took place Sunday. The automobile accident significantly set back their plans, however. Dussel was unsure when the stand would reopen, but was still determined to get the stand back up and running quickly.

“We’re going to patch it up and see what we can do,” Dussel said.

The vehicle hit one of the Dussel’s worker’s trucks, but no one was injured during the event. By the time Dussel was available for comment, all three suspects were in police custody.

Dussel said that the cause of the accident was drug related.