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2nd person dies from Barry County crash

Posted at 9:45 AM, Dec 18, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-18 12:50:49-05

JOHNSTOWN TWP., Mich. - A second person has died from injuries suffered in a crash Thursday afternoon in southern Barry County.

The Barry County Sheriff says that Richard Lee Grooten, 57, of Paw Paw and Villard Randy Mann, 66, of Hastings, were both killed in the crash.  They were both drivers of pickup trucks when the vehicle driven by Mann crossed the center line of M-37 and hit the vehicle driven by Grooten head on.

Grooten was pronounced dead at the scene.  Mann died after being taken by AeroMed to Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo.

Investigators say both men were wearing their seat belt.  It is unknown if drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash.

M-37 was closed for a few hours Thursday afternoon at Strickland Road due to the crash.