IRON MOUNTAIN — An accident reconstruction performed by a Michigan State Police investigator found no physical evidence that a motorcyclist killed in a 2022 fatal collision with a city public works mower was traveling at excessive speed.

Matthew Fletcher, 34, of Iron Mountain was killed Aug. 30, 2022, when the motorcycle he was operating collided with a city mower at the intersection of Lake Antoine Road and East Grand Boulevard at about 3:43 p.m., according to a Michigan State Police report. The mower, operated by a city employee, was crossing the roadway.

A lawsuit was filed against the city in October 2023 by plaintiff Carly Fletcher, personal representative of Matthew Fletcher’s estate. A settlement was reached earlier this year and the case was closed in July.

The settlement included a payment from the city of $2.99 million, fully covered by insurance, City Manager Jordan Stanchina said.

“This was a tragic situation for all of those involved,” Stanchina said in a statement to The Daily News. “Even though all parties felt strongly about their respective legal positions, the matter was resolved amicably to the satisfaction of the parties.”

In an Aug. 28 letter to The Daily News, Stanley Feldman, a Farmington Hills attorney representing Carly Fletcher, shared information from a state police accident reconstruction report filed in October 2022 by Sgt. Daniel Verlin.

“The official ‘conclusion’ drawn by Sergeant Verlin, was ‘that the operator of mower misjudged the closure rate of the motorcycle,'” Feldman stated.

Felman further quoted from Verlin’s report:

“The mower operator turned in front of the motorcyclist, and the resulting collision resulted in the death of the motorcycle operator … there is no physical evidence at this time that suggests the motorcyclist was traveling at a high rate of speed at the moment of emergency brake application.”

An MSP news release issued after the fatal collision indicated the unnamed 34-year-old operator of the motorcycle was “traveling at a high rate of speed” and was wearing a helmet. “Excessive speed” was believed to be a factor, that release stated.

Verlin’s subsequent reconstruction report judged the motorcycle traveling at least 35 mph but no more than 49 mph at the start of the skid. The speed limit on this portion of the roadway is 45 mph, Verlin stated.

“Some witness accounts describe the motorcycle operator traveling at a high rate of speed prior to the crash,” Verlin said in his report. “However, eyewitness testimony to the speed of vehicles, especially motorcycles, is a well-documented debatable subject.”

Feldman, the attorney for the Fletcher estate, further noted in his letter that vision obstruction played a role in the crash.

“Sergeant Verlin also determined that the boom mower on the arm of the tractor, in the retractor position, created a vision obstruction for the driver of the tractor at the front of the vehicle,” Feldman stated. “Sergeant Verlin determined that the cause of the fatal collision was that the driver of the tractor simply misjudged the closure rate of the motorcycle, turning directly into its path.”

The employee operating the mower was uninjured in the crash.

In an April 10 report on the lawsuit, The Daily News identified Fletcher as the operator of the motorcycle and drew upon the August 2022 police news release. The newspaper said the police report had indicated “the motorcycle was traveling at a high speed” and Fletcher was wearing a helmet.

The newspaper, at that time, said a pre-trial conference was scheduled for July 9 in Dickinson County Circuit Court before Judge Mary Barglind. The newspaper said the council had met in a closed session to discuss trial and/or settlement strategy. There was no reporting on the parties’ respective court filings.

Feldman, in his Aug. 28 letter, faulted the newspaper for neglecting to obtain the official accident reconstruction report from MSP, which he said was available through the Freedom of Information Act.

The city is insured through Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority and its attorney in the case was Gregory Grant of Traverse City.

Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 85226, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.