COLDWATER TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN — A semi-truck driver has been charged with open murder in the death of a 46-year-old Branch County road commission worker who was killed while mowing grass in the median of Interstate 69 in June, with investigators citing dashcam footage showing the driver never touched the brakes before impact and court records revealing he had admitted testing positive for cocaine days before the crash.
Robert Craig, 38, faces open murder, operating while intoxicated causing death, reckless driving causing death, and a fourth habitual offender enhancement. He is currently held in Oakland County Jail on unrelated charges.
The crash occurred on June 4, 2026, at mile marker 15 on I-69 in Coldwater Township. Casey Rice, 46, was operating a tractor mowing grass in the median when Craig’s semi rear-ended the tractor. Rice died in the hospital two days later.
Video footage from Craig’s semi showed he did not brake before the truck struck the tractor, according to court records. Craig also admitted to officers that he had tested positive for cocaine on a drug screen a few days before the crash.
Michigan State Police Lt. DuWayne Robinson noted that the crash is a reminder of the state’s Move Over Law, which requires drivers to shift into the opposite lane when passing emergency and maintenance vehicles. Killing a road worker or other emergency response personnel carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison and a $7,500 fine.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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