MARQUETTE, MI— An NMU student has been killed in a four-vehicle crash downstate.
Michigan State Police from the Gaylord Post say it happened just after 7:30 p.m. Sunday on I-75, just south of the Mackinac Bridge in Emmet County.
Troopers say a 78-year-old Indiana man was driving his Jeep southbound in the northbound lanes when he struck a sedan occupied by a man and a woman. The driver of the sedan—21-year-old Carson Needham of Traverse City—died.
He was a sophomore at Northern, majoring in communication studies with a minor in music. Carson played in the drumline of the NMU Marching Band and was a percussionist in the Jazz Band.
NMU President Brock Tessman says coping with the tragedy may be more difficult as the state continues to grieve over events at Michigan State University. He urges students and staff to reach out for mental health support if they need it.