.png)
WRIGHT TOWNSHIP, Ottawa County — The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office released information about the three-vehicle crash on I 96 that killed Lucus Jerry Werkema-Grondsma, 18, of Pentwater on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 12:15 a.m.
Werkema-Grondsma was a passenger in a Nissan Infiniti driven by a 23-year-old Custer man, whose name has not been released. Preliminary investigation shows that a semi-truck was westbound on I 96 after entering the highway from Ironwood Drive, and the Infiniti passed the semi on the shoulder. “As it was passing the semi, it struck a Chevrolet Avalanche that was parked on the right shoulder,” states a press release from the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office. “After the Infiniti struck the Avalanche, it then was struck by the semi and came to rest in the median. Once coming to rest, the Infiniti caught fire in the engine compartment. Deputies and bystanders were able to extricate the driver. They then worked to extricate the passenger who was found to be pinned in and deceased.”
The Infiniti driver was transported by Life EMS to an area hospital in serious but stable condition. The semi driver, who is a 41-year-old Davidson, Mich. man, was not injured. The Chevrolet Avalanche was unoccupied.
Werkema-Grondsma was not wearing a seat belt, and both drivers were wearing seat belts.
Westbound I 96 in the vicinity of the crash was shut down for several hours, according to police.
The crash remains under investigation, said Cpt. Jacob Sparks. It is one of several fatal crashes that the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office has investigated in the last two weeks, said Cpt. Sparks.
Read Werkema-Grondsma’s obituary here.
______________________________________
Please Support Local News Coverage
For generations, local newspapers were supported by subscriptions. Today, while Mason County Press and Oceana County Press remain free to everyone, the cost of producing quality local journalism continues to rise.
If you value independent local news coverage, we invite you to help sustain it by subscribing to the MCP/OCP Daily Briefing for $12 a month — about 40 cents a day — or $120 a year.
Your subscription helps support the reporters, photographers and editors who cover local government, schools, community events, sports, breaking news and the stories that matter most to Mason and Oceana counties. In return, you’ll receive the MCP/OCP Daily Briefing each morning with the day’s headlines, along with occasional breaking news and special email editions.
Monthly subscriptions are available for $12 per month.
Click here to subscribe monthly.
Annual subscriptions are available for $120 per year. That’s a two month savings!
Click here to subscribe annually.
If you prefer to pay by check, mail your $120 annual payment to:
Media Group 31, LLC
P.O. Box 21
Scottville, MI 49454
Please include your name, mailing address, email address and telephone number so we can activate your subscription.
Subscription payments must be received before service is activated.
Whether you choose to subscribe or continue enjoying our free content, thank you for reading Mason County Press and Oceana County Press. Your readership—and your support—helps ensure that independent local journalism remains available to everyone in our communities.
This story and original photography are copyrighted © 2026 by Media Group 31, LLC, P.O. Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. All rights reserved. No portion of this story or its images may be reproduced in any form, including print, broadcast or electronic media, without the express written permission of Media Group 31, LLC.
As a news organization, Media Group 31 maintains published content as part of the public and historical record. Accordingly, stories are not removed after publication. At the editor’s discretion, stories may be updated or corrected as new information becomes available. Updates may be made by revising the original story or by publishing a follow-up story. Media Group 31, LLC reserves the right to modify this policy at any time. Please refer to our Use Policy for additional information.
.jpg)
