A three-judge panel of the Michigan Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of a truck driver who slammed into the back of a car on I-696 on June 23, 2022, killing a northern Michigan couple and setting off a six-vehicle chain reaction crash. Robert Fitzgerald Coker was found guilty at trial in 2024 of two counts of reckless driving causing death and is serving concurrent 7-to-30-year prison terms. Family members and local reporting have identified the victims as 69-year-old Barbara Kowalski and her husband, 72-year-old Patrick Kowalski.
Appeals Court Backs Jury’s Call
A unanimous panel consisting of Judges Thomas C. Cameron, Michael J. Kelly and Adrienne N. Young issued an unpublished opinion on Feb. 4, 2026, rejecting Coker’s arguments that the evidence was insufficient and that his trial lawyer was ineffective. The opinion says jurors could reasonably infer that Coker knowingly disregarded the safety of those around him, pointing to phone records, photographs and crash reconstruction details in the record, according to Casemine.
Couple Remembered, Sentence Locked In
Obituaries and local coverage identify Barbara and Patrick Kowalski as longtime residents of Grand Lake and note they are survived by four adult children and nine grandchildren. The Oakland Press reports that Patrick spent roughly three decades teaching science at Posen High School and that his name appears on an engraving at Comerica Park. The outlet also notes that the trial judge treated Coker as a habitual offender, which increased the potential prison time in the Oakland County case.
Reconstruction Points to Speed and No Braking
Michigan State Police reconstruction testimony at trial showed the semi was traveling in the mid-60s in the seconds before the crash and that the truck’s brakes were never applied prior to impact. The appeals opinion recounts that the semi’s last recorded speed was about 66.5 mph and that the wreck unfolded as traffic slowed for a construction zone, touching off the multi-vehicle pileup.
Phone Records, Photos and What Jurors Heard
Prosecutors introduced forensic data from Coker’s phone and two photographs he took of trucking documents while he was on a call shortly before the collision, and witnesses testified that he was shuffling through paperwork on the steering wheel, according to The Oakland Press. That sequence of calls, images and reconstruction evidence formed the core of the prosecution’s argument that his actions went beyond ordinary negligence.
Broader Context
The case highlights how phone use and other in-cab distractions can underpin felony reckless-driving charges when paired with speed and circumstantial evidence. Distracted driving remains a serious safety problem: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 3,275 people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2023.
Legal Takeaway
Under Michigan law, reckless driving causing death is a felony, and the appeals court stressed that a willful or wanton disregard for safety can be proven with circumstantial evidence and expert reconstruction testimony. Coker’s sentence was increased based on a habitual-offender finding, which the panel treated as part of the sentencing record under state law, consistent with the framework outlined by the Michigan Legislature and the appellate opinion.
