A 40-year-old Shelby Township man died Friday, Oct. 9, one day after a crash on West Hamlin Road in Rochester Hills. Preliminary autopsy findings indicated his death was not directly caused by crash injuries, though alcohol use was identified as a contributing factor.
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office said the crash happened around 6:16 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, on West Hamlin Road west of Crooks Road, as first reported by WXYZ. The man was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee eastbound when he failed to navigate around a stopped 2025 Ram 1500 in the through lane, according to the sheriff's office.
Both drivers were injured but not seriously hurt at the time, the sheriff's office said. The driver of the Ram, a 43-year-old Commerce Township man, was treated at the scene. The Jeep driver was transported to a hospital.
Deputies at the scene observed signs that the Jeep driver was possibly impaired by alcohol. They obtained a blood sample for analysis.
The Jeep driver was pronounced dead at the hospital around 1:15 p.m. Friday, roughly 19 hours after the collision.
The Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy Saturday, Oct. 10. Preliminary findings indicated the man's death was not directly caused by injuries from the crash. The office identified alcohol use as a contributing factor, but the reports reviewed did not specify the underlying cause of death.
The Ram driver was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Whether the Jeep driver was buckled has not been determined, according to the sheriff's office.
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office Crash Reconstruction Unit was investigating the circumstances of the crash as of Oct. 10, according to CBS Detroit.
