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HOWARD TOWNSHIP — A Dowagiac man was killed in a motorcycle crash in Howard Township early Monday morning, according to Michigan State Police.

MSP Niles Post troopers were dispatched to M-51 Highway near Maple Ln. in Howard Township for an iPhone crash alert around 2 a.m. Upon arrival, evidence of a motorcycle crash was discovered and after a brief search, the motorcycle and its lone rider were located.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the rider of a motorcycle was traveling northbound on M-51 towards Dowagiac when he veered off the roadway, lost control, and hit an embankment. It appears that the motorcyclist was then thrown from the motorcycle upon impact. The motorcyclist succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was later identified as a 43-year-old Dowagiac man. It is unknown why or what caused the motorcycle to leave the roadway.

It did not appear the rider was wearing a helmet and it is unknown if alcohol or drugs were a factor. Troopers were assisted at the scene by SMCAS ambulance first responders.