Alayiah Lazzara dies in fatal Allegan County car crash
Fatal Allegan County car crash death of Alayiah Lazzara
Alayiah Lazzara, a 17-year-old girl, passed away following a deadly head-on collision on US-131. The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning in Allegan County.
Officials reported that the crash involved a driver who entered the highway in the wrong direction. The wrong-way driver was identified as 38-year-old Erin Louise Jones from Grand Rapids, driving a Subaru Legacy. She left the highway, made a u-turn, and proceeded against traffic for several miles before colliding with a Ford Fusion.
The Ford Fusion was being operated by 18-year-old Emmanuel Browning from Kalamazoo, who died at the scene. A passenger in the Ford Fusion, also 18 years old, and Jones were among the fatalities. Lazzara was a passenger in the other vehicle.
Three additional individuals were transported to the hospital in critical condition. One of them, Lazzara, later succumbed to their injuries. The identities of the surviving passengers have not been disclosed.
School authorities confirmed that Lazzara was a student at Community High School. Officials also noted that one injured passenger attends Comstock High School, and one of the deceased was a recent graduate from Portage Northern High School.
Investigators suspect alcohol could have contributed to the crash, but no official conclusion has been reached.
