Early Sunday morning, on a quiet stretch of U.S. Route 12 near its intersection with Burr Oak Road in Burr Oak Township, Michigan, deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office responded around 7:09 a.m. to a call about an unresponsive person by the roadside. Within minutes they found 21-year-old Kayden Gruver, dead at the scene.
Preliminary investigation by authorities indicates that Kayden was struck by a vehicle that fled before emergency crews arrived. The sheriff’s office believes the vehicle involved is likely a pickup truck — a 2007-2015 model GMC Sierra or Chevrolet Silverado — showing front-end damage on the passenger side.
Neighbors, local businesses, and anyone with surveillance footage covering the early-morning hours in that area are being asked to check their cameras and come forward with any information. Investigators also specifically request that anyone who had contact with Kayden on the evening of October 25 or the morning of October 26 reach out.
The community has been shaken by the tragedy. A young life ended far too soon. The roads where Kayden was found are rural and quiet at that hour, yet someone witnessed enough to leave behind a trail. That if only they paused, or stood up and gave a statement, could become the turning point in this investigation.
The sheriff’s office, assisted by Burr Oak Fire and Rescue, Life Care Ambulance and Michigan State Police, emphasizes this remains an active investigation. They emphasize that any small detail matters — a truck driving slowly, a flash of headlight, someone picking up debris, a front-passenger side dent. All could help bring justice for Kayden.
If you have any information — even something you thought was insignificant at the time — you’re asked to contact the St. Joseph County Central Dispatch at (269) 467-4195. Every call could bring investigators one step closer to the truth.
Kayden’s family, friends and a grieving local community now wait for answers — hoping that the person who caused this hit-and-run will be held accountable, and that Kayden’s memory will be honored with action rather than silence.
