A fatal traffic incident in Macomb County has taken a grim turn as a 27-year-old Riley resident faces serious charges following the tragic consequences of distracted driving, per statements from local law enforcement. Police said the woman, whose name has not been released, admitted to using her cellphone GPS when she ran a red light on Feb. 2, leading to a collision that killed a passenger, according to ClickOnDetroit.
The collision, which occurred at the juncture of 32 Mile Road and M-53, sent the victim's car into a violent spin, ultimately requiring extrication before succumbing to fatal injuries; the driver at fault faced several injuries but survived, Macomb County deputies relayed, and she now answers to charges including reckless driving causing death, which could amount to a 15-year felony, FOX 2 Detroit reported.
Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham lamented the preventable nature of this loss, affirming, "This tragedy could have been prevented had the suspect not been engaged in activity on her phone," and imploring drivers to abide by Michigan's hands-free driving law and remain free from phone distractions while behind the wheel, as captured by ClickOnDetroit.
While the arraignment date for the still-unnamed driver has yet to be determined, the Macomb County Sheriff's Office remains adamant in its messaging regarding the stark risks of distracted driving, with the new hands-free law being heavily spotlighted in the wake of the accident and subsequent fatality, WWJ Newsradio reported.
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