On Friday morning, just after 7:30 a.m., the Emmet County Sheriff’s Office responded to a car accident on River Road, near Howard Road, Bear Creek Township.

The Sheriff's Office states a northbound vehicle driven by 71-year-old John Andrew Marczak of Petoskey crossed over the centerline, left the roadway, and struck an embankment.

Witnesses stated they saw the driver slumped over the steering wheel, as the vehicle drifted over the center line, then struck the embankment.

Marczak was transported to McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital, where he later died. The Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the accident.