HEATH TWP., MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Dec. 26, 2025) – A point of emphasis among authorities this holiday season is motorists being aware of first responders and other emergency personnel at the scene of crashes and similar situations, with drivers asked to slow down and move over a lane. An incident on Tuesday night in Hamilton brought that point home in a tragic way.
On Friday, the Hamilton Fire Department announced the death of its Chief, David Haverdink. The 74-year-old operational leader was hit by a passing vehicle while he was attending to a medical incident on Lincoln Road (M-40) neat 136th Avenue around 6 PM. Chief Haverdink was taken to U-M Health West in Wyoming with critical injuries, and succumbed on Christmas Day.
He was a 51-year veteran of the department, with more than four decades of service as its chief. He was also a two-term Allegan County Sheriff, from 1993 to 2001. Funeral arrangements were initially pending.
The only other details about the incident disclosed thus far by the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office was that speed and alcohol were not factors. The matter remains under investigation.
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