BOYNE CITY — A 44-year-old woman from East Jordan died early Wednesday morning after the SUV she was driving crashed into Lake Charlevoix at high speed, according to Boyne City Police Chief Kevin Spate.
Boyne City Emergency Services were dispatched around 7:05 a.m. on July 9 to the Harborage Marina at 448 Front St. following a 911 call that reported a black SUV had driven into the water. When emergency crews arrived, they found the vehicle fully submerged in the lake.
Personnel from the Charlevoix County Dive Team located a body inside the vehicle, later identified as the East Jordan woman. Her family has been notified. An autopsy will be conducted by the Charlevoix County Medical Examiner.
Authorities said additional information suggests the same vehicle was involved in a separate crash moments earlier at the intersection of Pleasant Avenue and West Division Street, just before entering the lake. The cause of both crashes remains unknown and is under investigation.
Spate said the woman drove straight through the marina from Pleasant Avenue, striking only a small tree in the parking lot before passing between a small building and a boat lift and ultimately entering the water.
Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Boyne City Fire and EMS, the Charlevoix County Dive Team, Boyne Falls Fire Department, East Jordan Fire Department, Charlevoix County Sheriff’s Office, Charlevoix County Emergency Management, the Charlevoix County Medical Examiner, the U.S. Coast Guard, Eriksen’s Towing, Boyne Country Towing and Boyne Boat Yard.
— Contact reporter Annie Doyle at 231-675-0099 and adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com.
This story was updated to add a video.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: East Jordan woman dies after driving SUV into Lake Charlevoix, investigation ongoing
Reporting by Annie Doyle, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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