Man arrested after hitting and killing a woman on US-31 in Free Soil Township

UPDATE: 9/17/23 5:00pm

Mark Casterman has been charged and arraigned on multiple charges after striking his wife with a vehicle after an argument.

Melissa Sue Casterman of Grand Rapids has been identified as the person that was killed in the crash on Friday.

Officials say that Ms. Casterman was driving when her and her husband had got in an argument.

This led her to get out of her car after pulling onto the shoulder of the highway and she begun walking.

Her husband, Mark Casterman, got behind the wheel and drove past Ms. Casterman twice before doing a final “U” turn and struck her.

She was pronounced dead instantly according to officials.

Mark Casterman has been charged and arraigned on multiple charges including, homicide, and operating vehicle while intoxication causing death, along with other charges.

His bond has been set to 1 million dollars.

09/15/23 5:33 p.m.

The Mason County Sheriff’s Office said that a man has been arrested after hitting and killing a woman on US-31 south of Freeman road in Free Soil Township.

On Friday, around 11 a.m., emergency crews were sent to US-31 because of a 45-year-old Grand Rapids woman getting hit by a car. Deputies said that the woman was pronounced dead at the scene and the male driver of the car had been arrested for Operating While Intoxicated Causing Death and Driving on a Revoked Ops Causing Death.

Deputies said that a preliminary investigation showed that the woman exited the suspect’s car north of the crash scene and started walking southbound down the northbound shoulder. The driver of the suspect car pulled onto US-31 southbound and crossed the centerline, hitting the woman.

The Mason County Crash Reconstruction Team and Mason County Detective Bureau are still investigating the crash and are asking for the public’s help.

They are asking for anyone who may have witnessed the event, or had been traveling in the area of US-31 and Freeman Road around the time of the call to call Detective Steve Hansen with the Mason County Sheriff’s Office at 231-843-3475 extension 128 or the Mason/Ocean County 911 Center toll free at 800-364-7332.

The identity of the driver is being withheld at this time.