Driver passes red light, seriously injures assistant in crash • Oakland County Times

Driver passes red light, seriously injures assistant in accident

Driver passes red light, seriously injures assistant in accident

(OCSO, June 19, 2021)

Pontiac, MI – An Oakland County Sheriff’s Deputy was seriously injured on Friday after his patrol car was bordered by another vehicle whose driver – a frequent offender – turned on a red light in Pontiac.

The deputy, a 6-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, suffered multiple injuries and is hospitalized in stable condition in the intensive care unit. The driver of the other vehicle, a 36-year-old Pontiac man, was also hospitalized. Investigators said alcohol appeared to be a factor in the crash.

“One of our assistants was seriously injured this morning because another driver made the horribly irresponsible decision to drive while intoxicated,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. “This is yet another graphic illustration where drinking alcohol and driving any type of motor vehicle can have life changing consequences. We are fortunate that no one was killed and pray for the deputy’s speedy recovery.

The accident happened at 12:03 am Friday on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard northbound at Michigan Avenue in Pontiac. The Pontiac man was driving a 2009 Ford Crown Victoria eastbound in the westbound lane of Michigan Avenue when he ignored a red light and collided with the deputy’s patrol car. The posted speed limit in the area is 35 mph, although it is not clear how fast the Pontiac man was driving at the time of the crash.

An independent witness who observed the crash said the Ford vehicle turned on the red light, striking the patrol car. The patrol car was a total loss. In 2013, the driver pleaded guilty in 48th Bloomfield Hills District Court to driving with a suspended license.

In total, he was cited 15 times for various traffic offenses, including:

• Seven times for driving while his license was suspended

• Six times for speeding

• Once for disobeying a stop sign

• Once for opening intoxicants in a vehicle

• Once for failing to display a valid driver’s license

Investigators obtained a search warrant to take a sample of the man’s blood to verify its alcohol content. Results will be forwarded to the Oakland County District Attorney’s Office for possible criminal charges

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