Man killed after crashing into two sheriff’s vehicles, injuring deputies on M-59

ROCHESTER HILLS — A 29-year-old man was killed and two Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies were injured in a late night crash on M-59.

The crash occurred at around 11:59 p.m. Aug. 19 on eastbound M-59, near Rochester Road in Rochester Hills.

Deputies were dispatched to the area to block traffic so that a disabled vehicle, which had caught fire, could be removed by a tow truck from the left lane of M-59.

At the time of the crash, the deputies were sitting in their patrol vehicles, with emergency lights activated, blocking traffic on the shoulder and in the left lane of M-59, when Nicholas Leach, of Shelby Township, rear-ended the patrol vehicle that was blocking the left lane, causing the patrol vehicle to spin and hit the second patrol vehicle that was blocking the shoulder.

Leach was trapped in his 2004 Ford F-150 truck, which came to rest on the side of the road. He was extricated by Rochester Hills firefighters and taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The deputy that was rear-ended suffered “serious injuries,” according to reports, and was transported to a hospital by deputies and listed in stable condition at press time. The second deputy was treated for minor injuries.

The Sheriff’s Office said it is unknown if alcohol and drug use were factors in the crash, adding that the incident remains under investigation.

“While the crash investigation is ongoing, the one thing that is clear is how dangerous it is for emergency vehicles and wreckers on the side of the road,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a statement. “It is a tragic reminder to the public to stay capable of driving, focused and move over a lane, away from any emergency vehicles on the side of the road as required by law.”