A late-night ride through wet roads ended in tragedy Tuesday for a Dowling community member. Deric Cadwallader, 47, lost his life after his motorcycle went off the road along M-89 in Ross Township.
State troopers got the call around 10:15 p.m. When emergency crews pulled up near 46th Street, they found Cadwallader’s bike wrecked against a roadside guardrail.
Investigators say Cadwallader was heading down M-89 at a high speed when he lost control on the damp pavement. A fresh rain had slicked the blacktop just hours before the crash, creating treacherous riding conditions.
Even with a helmet buckled tight, the impact was simply too severe. First responders treated him at the scene, but his injuries proved fatal before he could be transported to a hospital.
Friends and locals in Barry County remember Cadwallader as a familiar face around Dowling. News of the sudden accident hit neighbors hard as word spread through the small township early Wednesday morning.
Police checked for signs of impairment right away, but officers confirmed early on that neither booze nor drugs were involved. Simple bad weather, slick asphalt, and high speed converged into a lethal mix.
For the family and folks who knew Cadwallader, the quiet stretch of M-89 now carries a heavy shadow. A routine evening ride turned into an unexpected loss that has left a tight-knit West Michigan community mourning one of its own.
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