Clinton County sheriff's deputy dies in crash

By AP

DEWITT TWP., MI – A motorcycle-riding Clinton County sheriff's deputy died in a traffic accident on his way to work.

DeWitt Township police Chief Brian Russell says Douglas Alward was killed on northbound U.S. 127 Monday after he hit a deer that jumped in front of him, was thrown from his motorcycle and was struck by a semitrailer.

Alward's wife, Alicen, tells the Lansing State Journal her husband would ride his motorcycle from his Lansing home to the agency's headquarters in St. Johns.

The 39-year-old was a motorcycle enthusiast and a member of the Warthogs Motorcycle Club, a group that includes police officers and firefighters.

Alward was a 10-year-veteran of the Clinton County sheriff's office and is survived by his wife, 8-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter.