Lawrence high school senior killed in crash hours before graduation
Police: James Reeder's truck crossed the center line
Celebrants at southwestern Michigan's Lawrence High School's graduation have observed a moment of silence for a student killed in a crash hours before the ceremony.
Northern Indiana police say 18-year-old James Reeder died in a head-on crash about 4:30 a.m. Sunday in St. Joseph County, Ind., just south of the Michigan state line. Lawrence is about 55 miles south of Grand Rapids.
County police Lt. Matt Blank tells WOOD-TV that Reeder's pickup truck crossed the center line and struck an oncoming tanker truck.
The lieutenant says the cab of the truck caught fire, and the 43-year-old Coloma man driving it sustained minor injuries.
Lawrence schools Superintendent John Overley tells Mlive.com that graduates wore a black patch for Reeder and another for classmate Rebecca Burnett, who died earlier this school year.