New Year's morning crash sends one to Memorial Hospital and one to jail for OWI

Friday, January 3, 2025 at 3:00 AM

By Kathy Bottorff

A Culver teen was seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash early New Year's morning, and the Rochester man driving was arrested for operating while intoxicated, causing serious bodily injury.

At approximately 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Marshall County Central Dispatch Center received a call regarding a single-vehicle collision on Plymouth LaPorte Trail near 7^th Road.

Deputy Ash began investigating the collision and determined that a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by 21-year-old Karzdon McCrammer of Rochester was northbound, ran off the roadway, colliding with a tree on the east side of the road.

His passenger, 19-year-old Grace Barth of Culver, was seriously injured with injuries to her back and legs. She was transported to Memorial Hospital by Walkerton EMS for serious, non-life-threatening injuries.

During the investigation, McCrammer admitted to officers on the scene that he had consumed alcoholic beverages before the collision. He failed standardized field sobriety testing and was transported to Plymouth Hospital for a certified chemical test. The certified test results showed that McCrammer's blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit.

Karzdon McCrammer was booked at the Marshall County Jail at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, causing serious bodily injury as a Level 5 Felony. He bonded out at 3:20 p.m.

Readers are reminded that charging information supported by an affidavit of probable cause is merely an allegation that a crime has been committed and that there is only probable cause to believe a crime has been committed. They are presumed innocent throughout the proceedings, entitled to be represented by counsel, and entitled to a trial jury at which the State is obligated to provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt before a judgment of guilt may be made.