Funeral Services Announced for Student Who Died in Car Accident

Services for Lee Drelles, 19, who died Sunday in a one-car accident on the Pike River Road in Chassell Township, will be held at Oak Grove Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Ludington.

The funeral will be held Saturday, Sept. 27, at 11 a.m., officiated by Pastor Gregg DeMey. The family will receive friends for visitation on Thursday, Sept. 25, from 4 to 7 p.m., on Friday, Sept. 26, 2-6 p.m., and on Saturday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. until the funeral.

Condolences may be sent to the funeral home at 3060 W. U.S. 10, Ludington, MI 49431.

A website has been established in Drelles's memory where friends are invited to comment: http://leedrelles.com/ .

The vehicle, carrying four passengers and the driver, was traveling on Pike River Road in Chassell Township. Shortly before 3 a.m. the driver lost control, and the car left the roadway, hit a tree and rolled over several times. Drelles, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering, was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene.

The other passengers--Krista Kasuboski, Brett Jenkins and Jared Bussey--were taken to Portage Health, where they were treated for a variety of injuries, none of them life threatening. The driver was also treated; related charges may be brought against him in Houghton District Court.

"Our hearts go out to everyone involved in this tragedy--the students in the accident, their families and friends, and especially to Lee's family for their terrible, heartrending loss," said Les Cook, vice president for student affairs.

Counseling Services has been providing support for the students involved in the accident and their families. Friends and others seeking help in coping with the tragedy may call Counseling Services at 906-487-2538.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.