Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Monday

January 14, 2013

Traverse City man dies in traffic crash

BY ART BUKOWSKI abukowski@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — One man died and another faces multiple felony charges after separate Grand Traverse County traffic incidents that likely involved alcohol.

John Hagstrom Dopke, 55, of Traverse City, died in a crash along Silver Lake Road near Secor Road at about noon on Sunday. He drove off the road, struck a utility pole and rolled his Ford Explorer.

He wasn't wearing a seatbelt, and deputies believe speed and alcohol were factors in the crash. Toxicology reports are pending.

Akron, Ohio, resident Michael T. Burgoyne, 35, was arraigned Monday on a count of third-offense drunken driving, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and a count of resisting or obstructing police officers. He remains in jail.

Burgoyne's charges stem from a Saturday morning incident that started near the intersection of South Airport Road and U.S. 31. A sheriff's deputy pulled him over at about 8 a.m. for a plate violation and saw that he appeared drunk.

The deputy found out that Burgoyne had a suspended license and instructed him to get out of his vehicle so he could be placed under arrest. Burgoyne didn't take kindly to the request, Sheriff's Capt. Dave Meachum said.

"At this point, he looked up and said, 'I'm sorry. I can't do that today,'" he said.

Burgoyne took off south on U.S. 31 to Chum's Corner. After weaving through parking lots and back onto the road, he eventually stopped his vehicle when boxed in by several patrol units, Meachum said.

He struck at least two patrol units with his vehicle during the pursuit, and struggled with deputies as they tried to arrest him. Deputies had to use a Taser to subdue him.

Burgoyne previously was convicted of drunken driving in 2012 in Michigan and 2008 in Ohio, court records show.

Drunken driving in the daytime is probably more common than people imagine, Meachum said.

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