Trial rescheduled for man accused of drunken driving in death of veterans advocate Gary Lillie

Kevin Warren is facing one charge each of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. If convicted, Warren faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.

According to court officials, the trial was moved from the original date on April 16 because Warren’s lawyer, John Shea, has a case in federal court set to go to trial that week. The jury trial was rescheduled on Thursday by Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge David Swartz and is now set to begin the morning of July 9, with a final pretrial hearing scheduled for June 21, according to court records.

Police said Warren struck Lillie with his Chevrolet Avalanche late on Aug. 4 as he drove down Marshall Road near Baker Road in Scio Township. At a preliminary exam in October, officials estimated the Avalanche was travelling between 34 and 42 miles per hour when it struck Lillie, killing him almost instantly.

Tests showed Warren’s blood alcohol level was 0.12 after the crash, above the 0.08 limit at which drivers are considered legally drunk in Michigan. In a video shown as evidence, Warren told police he dropped his cellphone and was reaching for it when he felt the car strike something.

Warren told police he had thought it was a deer, drove home and then returned to the scene to discover Lillie lying in a ditch, according to police.

Warren is currently free on bond.