In Custer, Michigan, A beloved 16-year-old student at Mason County Eastern High School named Samantha Jo Bateson died in a terrible car accident on February 19, 2025.
Bateson’s car crashed into a Dodge Ram pickup truck at the corner of U.S. 10 and Main Street in the village of Custer, killing both of them. The close-knit community is still in shock and grief.
Authorities arrived at about 11:56 a.m. on Wednesday, but Bateson had already died from the crash, even though they did everything they could.
At a stop sign, Bateson pulled into the path of the eastbound truck, which hit the driver’s side of her car. This is what caused the accident.
Her passenger, a Mason County Eastern student who is 18 years old, was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
A member of the community named Sheri Howe wrote on Facebook that she was sad and that Samantha Jo Bateson would always be a great light for the Custer and Mason County communities. There were many people whose lives she touched because she was so kind.
As the father of two young drivers, Sheriff Kim Cole said, “As a father of young drivers, my heart breaks for the family of the young life lost.” I, too, mourn with the rest of the community the death of the MCE family as sheriff.
The family will soon explain the specifics of the memorial services.