Mancelona driver arraigned in deaths of motorcyclists

BELLAIRE – A Mancelona man was arraigned Friday, March 9 on criminal charges of causing the deaths of two motorcyclists during a chain reaction accident last summer.

Brian Koppe, 40, was charged with two counts of reckless driving causing death, a felony, and two counts of moving violation causing death, a misdemeanor, in a video arraignment from the Antrim County Jail conducted by magistrate Ashley Justice.

Accompanied by his attorney Peter Shumar, Koppe had turned himself in the night before while remaining at large for two weeks after a warrant for his arrest was issued on Feb. 22 by Antrim County Prosecutor Jim Rossiter, according to the Antrim County Sheriff's Office.

Authorities believe that Koppe had been texting on his phone when he caused a July 30, 2017 multiple car accident on East Torch Lake Drive near the ball diamond south of Alden, which caused the deaths of motorcyclist Kevin Copeland, 29, of Williamsburg, a well-known area stunt pilot, and his passenger Erica McCurry, 24, of Clinton.

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