A Pontiac man is now facing a felony charge tied to a May crash on an I-75 entrance ramp in Bloomfield Township that left a Camry passenger seriously injured. Sidney Joel Williams, 29, was arrested and arraigned on November 4 after the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office issued a warrant for his arrest late in October.
According to The Oakland Press, Williams is charged with driving while license suspended, revoked or denied causing serious injury. He was arraigned in 48th District Court, where Magistrate Julie Nelson-Klein set bond at $50,000 cash or surety with a 10 percent provision; Williams was released from custody after posting $5,000.
The crash itself happened shortly after 6 p.m. on May 24 on the I-75 eastbound business loop ramp to northbound I-75, according to a separate report from The Oakland Press. The Bloomfield Township Police Department's preliminary investigation found that Williams lost control of a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu on the wet roadway, crossed the median and entered the path of oncoming traffic merging from the ramp.
Camry Driver Could Not Avoid the Collision
A 2003 Toyota Camry, driven by a 36-year-old Auburn Hills resident, was unable to avoid the Malibu and struck its passenger side, police said. One of the Camry's passengers suffered serious injuries in the collision. Five people involved in the crash were transported to area hospitals for treatment, per the same account.
Investigators said traveling too fast for roadway conditions was a factor in the crash. The June report also noted that the Malibu driver was described at the time as a 28-year-old Pontiac resident, while the November report identifies Williams as 29; the discrepancy between the two ages has not been resolved.
Part of a Rough Stretch on Local Roads
The I-75 ramp crash came amid what officials described as a spate of serious traffic crashes hitting Bloomfield Township in recent days last spring, including two fatal crashes, one that injured a child and another involving a 100-year-old driver, according to the June report from the same outlet. Township officials said at the time that increased police enforcement could be expected during the summer months in an effort to reduce and prevent crashes.
What's Next for Williams
Williams has a probable cause conference scheduled for November 12 before 48th District Judge Marc Barron, with a preliminary exam set for one week later. The charge against him is punishable by up to five years in prison, according to the November report; the applicable Michigan statute, cited by the Michigan Legislature, also references fines ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. It remains unclear how Williams will plead or what will happen at his upcoming court dates.
