The Eyrie

KALAMAZOO, MI — Western Michigan University has suspended activities for one fraternity while the school examines whether it was connected to a deadly crash involving five high school students. The university issued a cease-and-desist directive, but it has not identified which fraternity was affected.

The crash killed 15-year-old Jordyn Bigham after her parent’s car left West R Avenue in Texas Township in the early hours of Sunday, Oct. 18. Her 16-year-old sister, Jada Bigham, survived and remains in stable condition, while another student, Liyra Fuller, and the fifth girl in the vehicle have been released from the hospital.

Family attorneys say the girls may have been at a fraternity party

Ven Johnson and Chris Yates, who represent Aurora Ruckert’s family, said they believe the girls were at a WMU fraternity party before the crash. They are asking anyone with information about the girls’ movements that night to come forward.

Johnson said the driver in the crash has not been clearly identified. That detail, along with what happened before the wreck, remains part of the unanswered questions surrounding the case.

The family’s lawyers are also trying to piece together whether alcohol played a role in what happened after the party. So far, they have pointed to the possibility of a fraternity gathering, but no public account has established exactly who attended or what occurred inside the event.

Michigan social host law could matter if minors were drinking

The legal discussion centers in part on Michigan’s Social Host Liability Law, found in MCL Section 750.141a. The statute can hold hosts responsible if they provide alcohol to minors or allow underage drinking to happen at a party they are hosting.

Stephen Sinas, a personal injury attorney with Sinas Dramis Law Firm, said there is no liability unless it can be shown that the fraternity knew, or reasonably should have known, the girls were drinking. He said hosts who have minors at a party have an obligation to make sure those guests are not drinking alcohol.

Sinas added that responsibility can become significant if a fraternity is hosting a party and minors are drinking there. If a minor leaves and is involved in a crash, he said, the consequences can be serious for the people tied to the gathering.

Why WMU itself may be harder to sue than the fraternity

Sinas said Western Michigan University likely faces limited civil exposure because of governmental immunity. That legal protection can shield public institutions in many circumstances, making it harder to hold the university directly liable.

He said the fraternity’s national organization and individual members could still face civil or criminal responsibility, depending on what investigators and lawyers can prove. That could include the person who let guests in or the member who invited people to the party.

Those questions matter because liability may depend on who controlled access, who knew the guests were minors, and whether anyone ignored warning signs. For now, the university has taken the precautionary step of suspending fraternity activity while the review continues.

Sheriff’s office has not said what led to the wreck

The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office has not yet given an update on the crash itself. Deputies have not said what led up to the wreck or whether they are looking at a third party as a possible cause.

That lack of detail leaves open several questions about the chain of events before the car left the road. It is not yet clear whether investigators believe anyone outside the vehicle contributed to the crash.

Johnson said the inquiry remains active, and the family’s lawyers are also investigating the circumstances independently. Until law enforcement releases more information, the timeline from any gathering to the crash remains incomplete.

Victim identification and medical updates continue to emerge

Jordyn and Jada Bigham, along with Liyra Fuller, are being represented by Jonathan Jilek of Koning & Jilek, P.C., who is also investigating the crash. The fifth student in the car has not been publicly identified by her family.

Fuller and the unidentified fifth passenger have both been released from the hospital, according to the update in the case. Jada Bigham remains hospitalized in stable condition after surviving the wreck.

The family and their attorneys are still working to understand what happened in the hours before the crash, including where the girls were and whether alcohol was involved. Those answers could shape both the criminal inquiry and any possible civil claims that follow.