SANDS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WZMQ) – The name of a construction worker who was killed after being struck by a car earlier this week has been revealed.
On October 20, Marquette County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a single-vehicle crash in a construction zone on M-553. The call stated that a motor vehicle had struck an employee working in the construction zone, causing significant injury.
As deputies arrived on scene, the victim’s coworkers and bystanders were attempting lifesaving efforts. Deputies immediately began assisting. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver who struck them was transported to UPHS – Marquette for treatment.
An investigation determined that a passenger vehicle was heading southbound on M-553 when it left its lane of travel, sideswiping a Hooper construction vehicle parked on the shoulder. The vehicle continued southbound—still sideswiping the parked truck—and struck the worker, who was making sure the equipment was secured to a trailer that was being pulled by the truck. After striking the worker, the vehicle continued southbound and struck a second Hooper truck that appears to have been completely parked off the roadway.
The victim has been identified as 25-year-old Jack Rantanen of Marquette. The driver has only been identified as a 48-year-old female from Gwinn. No other details have been released at this time, as the investigation remains active.
