KALAMAZOO, MI – Fresh off his re-election, Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell was dodging the raindrops on Oakland Drive with plans to cross over to the road's west side to take down a campaign sign.

That was until a man driving at a high rate of speed in a white Honda Civic ran off the road and took care of the task for Kalamazoo’s mayor, striking Hopewell’s sign, a campaign sign for Vice Mayor-Elect David Anderson and a utility pole near Winchell Avenue.

“That’s where I was headed,” Hopewell said. “I am thankful I was not there … I was headed right to that spot.”

Hopewell said that after the crash, the Civic’s driver got out of the car and ran north and tried to board a nearby Metro Transit bus. However, Hopewell said the driver refused to let the man on the bus and called Kalamazoo Public Safety for help.

Hopewell said he approached the man and, being a former paramedic, checked the man over for injuries.

“I was trying to calm him down,” Hopewell said. “He kept trying to run away … He kept saying, ‘Will you help me? Will you help me?’ under his breath.”

Hopewell said eventually a woman who lived in the 2400 block of Oakland where the man crashed his car came out of her house and invited the man and Hopewell inside.

Hopewell said after he and the man went into the house, Hopewell contacted Public Safety and officers later took the man from the scene.

Public Safety Lt. Christopher Franks said the man was not hurt in the crash, but was at Borgess Medical Center for observation, as of about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Franks said witnesses told Public Safety officers that the man was speeding prior to crashing the Civic. Franks said it was not known Wednesday afternoon whether the man will face charges in connection with the crash.

Rex Hall Jr. is a public safety reporter for the Kalamazoo Gazette. You can reach him at rhall2@mlive.com. Follow him on Twitter.