Central Michigan man charged in fatal crash two years later due to misplaced police report
STANTON, Mich. - A central Michigan man has been charged two years after a crash that killed a passenger in a vehicle he was driving, a delay apparently due to a misplaced police report and warrant request.
Martin Swan, 48, of Barryton, faces charges of failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death, reckless driving causing death and being a habitual offender charges, The Daily News of Greenville reported Wednesday.
A preliminary examination is scheduled next week in Montcalm County District Court in Stanton.
Nicholas Chauvin, 34, of Port Huron, died July 25, 2019 in a single-vehicle crash northeast of Grand Rapids in Home Township, according to the Montcalm County prosecutor’s office.
When police arrived, Chauvin was outside the vehicle which was against a tree, Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Villet told The Associated Press Wednesday. Another passenger was injured in the crash.
Prosecutor Andrea Krause said the crash was investigated by the state police, but her office only received the report in May.
Police journal entries indicate the police report and warrant request were submitted on Aug. 29, 2019, according to state police public information officer Lt. Michelle Robinson.
Checks by a court officer determined the prosecutor’s office did not have the report, Robinson said.
"It was again submitted on May 19, 2021, for their review and ultimate decision on warrant," she added.
Swan was arrested July 14 and was being held in the Montcalm County Jail. The AP left a voicemail Wednesday morning seeking comment from his attorney.