A devastating collision near North Liberty claimed the life of Walkerton resident Kathy Moore, 61, confirmed by officials following a Friday morning accident. The incident occurred along State Road 23, between New Road and Osborne Road, around 7:10 a.m., when an SUV stopped for a school bus loading students was rear-ended by a box truck.
Moore, the sole occupant and driver of the SUV, tragically succumbed to the impact before authorities arrived at the scene. St. Joseph County Fatal Crash Team (FACT) has taken charge of the investigation, while the 32-year-old driver of the box truck, reportedly from Indianapolis, is cooperating with law enforcement.
The Traffic Crash Reporting Unit (TCRU) oversees the comprehensive gathering, processing, and compilation of statewide traffic crash data. As mandated by law, all law enforcement agencies submit crash reports to the Michigan State Police (MSP), maintaining the Traffic Crash Reporting System (TCRS) database, a central repository for Michigan’s traffic crash data.
Annually processing about 315,000 crashes, the TCRU’s data plays a pivotal role in identifying traffic safety concerns, aiding federal, state, and local traffic safety partners in reducing accidents, fatalities, and injuries. Geo-located traffic crash data is used by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to analyze high-crash locations, while the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) uses the data to study incidents involving snowmobiles, off-road vehicles (ORVs), and car-deer collisions.
Furthermore, crash reports are forwarded to the Michigan Department of State (MDOS) for inclusion in individual driving records. Fatal incidents are documented in both the state system and the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) supported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The family plans to release details about Kathy Moore’s obituary and funeral arrangements at a later date, as the community mourns the loss resulting from this tragic incident.
