LINCOLN PARK, Mich. — The Michigan State Police (MSP) announced that Motor Carrier Officer Daniel Kerstetter, 45, will be removed from life support pending his family’s decision to donate his organs, following a serious on-duty traffic crash on Sept. 13.
Officer Kerstetter, who served in the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, was unable to recover from injuries sustained in the crash. He joined the MSP in January 2023, graduating from the 26th Motor Carrier Officer Recruit School on May 25, 2023. He was assigned to the Metro North Post. Kerstetter is survived by his wife and three children.
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“We are heartbroken for this loss,” said Col. James F. Grady II, director of the MSP. “Traffic enforcement is dangerous work. The dedication of our motor carrier officers and troopers to keeping the public safe on our roadways is commendable and honorable. With the decision to give the gift of life, even in his death, MC Officer Kerstetter is serving others.”
The crash occurred at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 13. Officer Kerstetter was conducting a traffic stop on northbound I-75 near Dix in Lincoln Park when his patrol vehicle was struck by another motorist. Kerstetter was seated in his vehicle with his seatbelt on at the time. Preliminary investigations and witness statements indicate that a Ford Explorer hit the median wall before continuing down the freeway and striking Kerstetter’s patrol vehicle, pushing it into the back of a semi-truck. The driver of the Ford Explorer did not survive the crash, while the semi-truck driver was uninjured.
The MSP expressed gratitude to their police partners and emergency responders who assisted at the scene, and to the medical staff at Detroit Receiving Hospital for their care.
Motor carrier officers are armed, uniformed members of the MSP who specialize in commercial vehicle enforcement. They enforce traffic safety laws, conduct vehicle and driver inspections, protect infrastructure through size and weight enforcement, and contribute to homeland security efforts by enforcing hazardous material regulations.
