Deputies and employees at the Clinton County Sheriff's Office were understandable shaken up a bit Monday. It was evident in their faces and their hand shakes.

Deputy Doug Alward was killed Monday morning when he was on his way to work on his motorcycle from his home in Lansing. It was just after five a.m. when a deer appeared just north of the Clark Road overpass on U.S. 127 in DeWitt Township. Alward hit the deer and was thrown about 100-150 feet down the highway. A semi and other vehicles swerved out of the way, but another semi didn't see his body in the road and ran over him.

Sheriff Wayne Kangas was on the scene this morning and then had to break the news to Alward's family.

"As a family we just pull together. The law enforcement community is generally terrific in supporting each other," said Kangas. "When you're used to delivering death messages to families that have lost their children, it doesn't make it any easier when it's one of your own."

Alward was 39 years old and had been with the department for 10 years, working for the DeWitt and Ovid Police Departments before that.
He was one of 16 road patrol officers in the department.

Doug Alward leaves behind a wife and two kids-- a nine year old boy and a five year old girl. Kangas says that makes these tragedies all the more tough.

"Trying to relate to that is difficult-- the most difficult thing," said Kangas. "This is a little boy who's lost his dad. Whether it's a police officer or a civilian going to deliver those messages they're painful."

Funeral arrangements have been set for this Thursday. Visitation for Deputy Alward will be at noon at Keck-Coleman Funeral Home on Townsend Road in St. Johns. Services will begin at two p.m.

The Eaton County Sheriff's Office is handling the investigation. The driver of the semi-truck that hit Alward will not be charged.