Kenneth Marotzke gets at least six years for deadly M-22 crash

Kenneth Marotzke, 71, of Traverse City was sentenced March 3, 2026 in Leelanau County to a minimum of six years in prison after pleading no-contest to two felony drunk-driving counts tied to a crash that killed Ronald Leo Bellman, 61, an Ohio resident and volunteer lighthouse keeper.

Leelanau County authorities say the Sept. 10, 2025 crash on M-22 near Walters Drive occurred when a southbound Chevy pickup driven by Marotzke crossed the centerline and struck a Honda SUV driven by Bellman, the Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office said. The collision killed Bellman and injured others who were in the area at the time, officials reported.

At the Leelanau County courtroom where dozens of Bellman relatives filled the gallery, Marotzke entered no-contest pleas to two felony counts: driving under the influence causing death and operating a vehicle under the influence causing serious injury. A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but it is treated as such for sentencing purposes.

Family members from as far away as California traveled to northern Michigan for the sentencing, according to coverage of the hearing. Mary Jane Bellman, identified in court as Ronald Bellman’s mother, addressed the courtroom: “He’s in heaven, right? Yeah, we know that. I really miss him.” Other family members who spoke said the crash was entirely preventable and urged that people not drive after drinking, a theme repeated during the emotional hearing.

After the judge announced the sentence, deputies had Marotzke cuffed and taken away to begin serving the minimum six-year term. Courtroom reporting noted that the family said they would continue to pray for the man who killed their loved one and hoped he could find a positive purpose while incarcerated.

The plea and sentence resolve criminal exposure tied to the Sept. 10, 2025 collision, but public records reviewed in reporting do not specify whether the six-year minimum reflects concurrent or consecutive terms, the judge’s name, toxicology results, or whether additional charges were dismissed under the plea agreement. The Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office provided the crash description used at sentencing; court transcripts and family statements supplied the emotional record of the hearing.

For Grand Traverse County and travelers along scenic M-22, the case underscores the human consequences of impaired driving: a volunteer lighthouse keeper, Ronald Bellman, lost his life, family members traveled hundreds of miles for the hearing, and a 71-year-old Traverse City man will serve at least six years in prison following a no-contest plea.