A New Year’s Day crash that left a Farmington Hills pedestrian dead is now headed to a higher court, with a county plow truck driver facing a felony charge tied to the incident.
Today, 51-year-old Road Commission for Oakland County plow driver Bryan Derryberry waived his right to a preliminary exam, clearing the way for the case to move from district court to Oakland County Circuit Court. He remains free on a $100,000 personal bond. The victim, identified by police as 68-year-old Edward Detroit, was found unconscious along Middlebelt Road on Jan. 1 and later died at a local hospital.
After Derryberry waived the hearing, 47th District Judge Marla Parker signed the order sending the case upstairs. Prosecutors allege he left the scene after the crash and presented evidence tying a Road Commission vehicle to the collision, according to The Oakland Press.
Investigators say physical evidence recovered from the plow truck confirmed that the vehicle was involved and that Derryberry was behind the wheel. The Farmington Hills Police Department then turned the file over to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office. Derryberry, who has worked for the Road Commission for about three years, was released on a $100,000 personal bond, per ClickOnDetroit.
What the charge carries
Leaving the scene of an accident that results in death or serious bodily impairment is a felony in Michigan. A conviction can carry up to five years in prison, along with fines, and it can also trigger a driver’s license suspension and other fallout. The Michigan Legislature traffic code requires drivers involved in crashes that cause serious injury or death to stop, remain at the scene, and report the incident.
Agency response and community reaction
The Road Commission for Oakland County called the crash "a terrible tragedy" and extended condolences to Detroit’s family, while declining to discuss Derryberry's employment status, according to CBS Detroit. Farmington Hills Police Chief John Piggott said the work by investigators and prosecutors is intended to provide "some measure of closure" for the family as the case moves through the courts.
What happens next
With the waiver of his preliminary exam on March 27, Derryberry’s case is now formally in the hands of the Oakland County Circuit Court. An arraignment is scheduled for April 9 before Judge Martha Anderson, according to The Oakland Press. After that, the case is expected to move into pretrial motions and discovery. If it proceeds to trial, prosecutors will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that all elements of the felony charge were met.
