Victim identified in fatal Niles Township crash

NILES TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The victim of a fatal crash in Niles Township on Friday has been identified, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Life-saving measures were attempted but 19-year-old Chasity Stanfill of Niles died from her injuries.

The passenger of the vehicle, an 18-year-old from Berrien Springs, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

At 3:42 p.m., first responders were dispatched to a priority call of a single vehicle crash in the 2600 block of Old US-31 in Niles Township.

Initial responding units located a passenger car pinned against a tree.

Stanfill was entrapped in the car.

The passenger was ejected from the vehicle.

Witnesses to the crash said that the vehicle was trying to pass another vehicle on the right shoulder of the road when it lost control, overturned, and ultimately struck a tree, according to reports.

Deputies’ initial observations at the scene would support the witness statements.

The accident remains under investigation by the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Accident Investigations Unit.

The use of alcohol or drugs are currently not believed to be factors in this crash.

The family and friends of Chastity have set up a fundraiser for funeral expenses which you can find here.