M-51 north of Dowagiac re-opened to traffic around 6 a.m. on Friday, Sep. 21, after a deadly head-on crash occurred during the early morning hours.

The collision happened around 1:45 a.m. in the 54000 block of M 51 North in Dowagiac.

Deputies with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene to find both vehicles with heavy front end damage.

Their initial investigation shows that the driver of a Dodge van was driving northbound on M-51 when they got into a head on collision with a Mitsubishi car that was driving southbound.

The driver of the Mitsubishi was identified as Cody Lee Jenkins, 35, from Decatur. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Dodge Van was identified as a 42-year-old woman from Hartford.