A St. Clair County woman is facing a serious prison sentence after being charged with reckless driving, causing death in a fatal Washington Township crash, according to officials. The unidentified 27-year-old from Riley could face up to 15 years behind bars for the accident that took place earlier this year on Feb. 2. Macomb County Sheriff's Office announced that the charge had been authorized by the county prosecutor’s office, as per reports by The Detroit News.
Details released by the sheriff's office indicate the woman was driving southbound on M-53, when she blew through a red light at the crossing with 32 Mile Road around 9:30 a.m., as noted by FOX 2 Detroit. Her vehicle then collided with another car traversing the intersection, resulting in severe consequences. With an involuntary partner, the cell phone she admitted to using at the time of the crash, has brought her to face the stark arm of justice.
The collision had devastating effects, as a 63-year-old woman, a passenger in the Jeep that was hit, had to be extricated from the wreckage. She was transported to a hospital but succumbed to her injuries thereafter. The driver responsible for the accident was hospitalized for two days but was released with multiple injuries, according to Macomb Daily.
Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham, conveying the grief over the preventable tragedy, said, "This tragedy could have been prevented had the suspect not been engaged in activity on her phone," as reported by The Detroit News. Resonating a plea to the public, he encouraged, "Please put your phone down while driving. Focus on the road. Follow the law and remain hands-free while driving." The woman's name will be released upon her arraignment, which had not been scheduled at the time of reporting.
