A 49-year-old Gowen man was killed Friday evening when the car he was riding in crashed into a tree.

David Bills

According to the Ionia County Sheriff Department, Raymond Boyd, 29, of Belding, was driving his 1997 Chevrolet Camaro southbound on N. Whites Bridge Road, in Otisco Township, about 11:37 p.m., when the vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree. Two men were ejected from the vehicle, while a third was pinned inside. Bystanders pulled the third man out before the vehicle caught on fire.

Passenger David Bills, 49, of Gowen, was pronounced dead at the scene. Both Boyd and his other passenger, Bryan Knapp, 30, of Greenville, were airlifted to Spectrum Butterworth with critical injuries. According to Lt. VanderMolen, alcohol and speed are both considered to be factors in the accident.

Assisting at the scene was the Belding Police Department, Belding Fire, Life EMS, Aero Med, Air Care, Ionia County Dispatch and the Ionia County Road Commission.

Bills is survived by his mother, Esther G. Bills, of Gowen; his brother Kurt (Pamela) Bills of Greenville; and several other family members.

Funeral mass was held Tuesday, July 27, at St. Charles Catholic Church in Greenville. Burial in Mt. Rest Cemetery in St. Johns.