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Posted on Sat, Jun 23, 2012 : 5:57 a.m.

Man accused of drunken driving in death of Gary Lillie returns to court next week

By Kyle Feldscher

The man accused of striking veterans advocate Gary Lillie with his car while driving drunk last year returns to court next week for a pre-trial hearing.

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Kevin Warren

Kevin Warren faces one charge each of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death for the Aug. 4 incident that killed Lillie.

Warren will face a final pretrial hearing at 1:30 p.m. June 28 in front of Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge David Swartz. His jury trial is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. July 9 in Swartz’s courtroom.

Warren is accused of hitting Lillie with his Chevrolet Avalanche as he drove down Marshall Road near Baker Road in Scio Township. The Avalanche was traveling between 34 and 42 miles per hour when it struck Lillie, killing him almost instantly, according to testimony at an October preliminary exam.

Tests after the accident showed Warren’s blood alcohol level was at .12, above the .08 legal limit. A video played at the preliminary exam showed Warren telling police officers he dropped his cellphone in his vehicle and was reaching for it when he felt the Avalanche strike something.

Originally thinking it was a deer, Warren said he drove home and then returned to the scene to find Lillie in a ditch, police testified.

John Shea, Warren’s attorney, filed a motion earlier this year to quash evidence related to the blood alcohol level test results, records show. Swartz denied that motion and the evidence can be used at trial, according to court records.

Warren is currently free on bond.

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Comments

snapshot

Sun, Jun 24, 2012 : 3:47 a.m.

Sad that a cell phone seems to contribute more to this tragedy than the alcohol and nobody noticed.

justcurious

Sun, Jun 24, 2012 : 3:22 p.m.

Hopefully the truth will come out in court. I do not know that a cell phone contributed at all to the death of this man.

walker101

Sun, Jun 24, 2012 : 12:24 p.m.

Almost hard to imagine, being drunk and worried about a cell phone?

Suzanne

Sat, Jun 23, 2012 : 10:35 p.m.

Even if it was a deer...you would stop and get out of the vehicle...wouldn't you???

justcurious

Sun, Jun 24, 2012 : 3:23 p.m.

Absolutely.

Robad1

Sat, Jun 23, 2012 : 3:03 p.m.

Regardless of the sentence, there will be no winners in this case.

justcurious

Sat, Jun 23, 2012 : 2:08 p.m.

It is time that our judicial system starts making the punishment fit the crime. Why should it take almost one year for this to come to trial? He allegedly drank until he was over the legal limit, then allegedly got into his vehicle and proceeded to drive until hitting something that just happened to have been a wonderful caring man, killing him. Then allegedly drives home and wonders what he had hit. This was no simple accident.

Jack Campbell

Sat, Jun 23, 2012 : 12:52 p.m.

Such a sad story. Hope you get whats coming to you in Jackson.