Murder of a man leads to dismissal of proceedings in fatal motorcycle accident

A December 19, 2023 booking photo of Atem Mathiang from the Kent County Jail.

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan (WOOD) – A man accused of killing a motorcyclist in Grand Rapids last summer was shot and killed in Wisconsin, after which criminal proceedings against him were dismissed.

Atem Peter Mathiang, 19, was due to appear in Kent District Court this week on a charge of reckless driving causing death. He is accused of hitting a motorcyclist in the southwest of the city and then fleeing.

Kent County Attorney Chris Becker said the criminal case was dropped after his office received news that Mathiang was gunned down in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on July 2.

According to Oshkosh police, officers responded to a report of a body lying in the street. A male victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to a July 3 press release from Oshkosh Police, a suspect was arrested.

According to a news report from Wisconsin, Mathiang was visiting relatives there when he was shot.

Mathiang was calculated In early December, he was charged with reckless driving causing death, a crime punishable by 15 years in prison, for a fatal crash on August 26, 2023.

Police said Mathiang’s vehicle collided with a motorcycle in the area of ​​Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and B Street SW.

According to police, the motorcyclist, 21-year-old Jared Gossage from Wyoming, died at the scene of the accident.

According to Grand Rapids police, the vehicle fled. After consulting with the Michigan State Police helicopter, officers found the driver and one of the three passengers.