A Grand Rapids man died in this crash west of Rockford last week.

Rockford Police officers spent hours processing the scene of a Wednesday, August 25 crash that cost Stephen Michael Ostaszewski, 58, of Grand Rapids his life. The collision of a gray Ford F150 into a tree in a residential yard on Summit Avenue west of Rockford at about 1:30 p.m. was so loud that neighbors heard the crash from over a block away. The southbound vehicle first struck a crossing-guard sign before colliding with the tree. It did not appear that Ostaszewski applied his brakes at any time prior to the crash. Rockford’s Sgt. Mike Miller said authorities did not know if a medical condition might have led to the crash.

Rockford Ambulance transported the victim, and officers measured and photographed the scene until about 4 p.m. when River Valley Auto moved the truck. According to the family who live at the house, their teen boys heard the crash and called 9-1-1. The family asked that their address not be published.