A 36-year-old Warren woman who left the scene of a deadly crash on I-696 will serve probation instead of prison time after a no-contest plea in the case.
Meghan Hamilton, of Warren, was sentenced last Thursday to two years of probation in the fatal hit-and-run that killed Madison Heights resident Nateria Smith on I-696 last August. The court also revoked Hamilton’s driver’s license, ordered her to pay restitution and required community service. Prosecutors say Hamilton did not stop after the collision or call 911.
According to CBS News, the Macomb County circuit judge ordered Hamilton to pay $10,000 in restitution, complete 200 hours of community service, have no contact with Smith’s family and wear a curfew tether for 90 days. Court records show the probation term is two years and the license revocation was included in the sentence. Hamilton entered a no-contest plea on Jan. 15 and was sentenced this week.
Crash, Arrest and Investigation
Local reporting at the time indicates the crash happened around 1:15 a.m. on Aug. 10, 2025, on eastbound I-696 near Hoover Road. Smith, 28, was reportedly struck while trying to put gas in her car on the shoulder.
Investigators later found a Chevrolet SUV with fresh damage in a driveway near Martin and Hoover roads. After forensic analysis linked the SUV to the crash scene, officers took Hamilton into custody. Initial coverage of the August arrest appeared in ClickOnDetroit and in our August story, noting she faced a 5-year sentence if convicted.
Legal Context
As outlined by the Warren Police Department's press release, Hamilton was charged Aug. 12 to 13 with one count of failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in serious impairment or death, a five-year felony. The plea and sentence were reported by CBS News, which noted prosecutors said Hamilton did not return to the scene or call for help.
While the statute allows for a prison term, judges in Michigan often shape punishment around the specifics of a case. Here, the court opted for probation, restitution, community service and tether monitoring instead of a custodial sentence, a decision that will likely fuel debate among those watching how hit-and-run cases are handled in the region.
