Trial rescheduled for man accused of drunken driving in death of veterans advocate Gary Lillie
The trial for the man accused of killing veterans advocate Gary Lillie while drunken driving in August has been moved back until the beginning of July.
Kevin Warren
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.
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
jrtluvr1959
Tue, Jan 31, 2012 : 11:05 p.m.
I thought of Mr. Lillie the other day when the transformer fell and leaked the oil. Albeit I did not know Mr. Lillie, from the news articles on his death, he appeared to have loved nature and am sure he would have been so sad that happened to his" Natural Beauty Road".
RJA
Tue, Jan 31, 2012 : 8:12 p.m.
Thought I hit a deer? STOP and check it out! Call 911 to put it down, so it doesn't suffer (don't go home and think about it and return) Thought I hit a dog, stop and call 911 and animal control. Hit a cat? Still stop and see if it can be helped, call animal control. No excuse to hit a human and leave the scene. The Gary Little family is still suffering with no closure. Free on bond? Is he getting treatment for drinking while out? Can't smoke in public places, but drugs and drinking places are OK!
justcurious
Wed, Feb 1, 2012 : 12:22 a.m.
You said it well.
actionjackson
Tue, Jan 31, 2012 : 1:41 p.m.
"If you can't do the time don't do the crime" Drinking, reaching for cell phones, bees in car, all while peoples lives are taken needlessly. Time to pay attention and stay out of jail.
Silly Sally
Tue, Jan 31, 2012 : 1:10 p.m.
I knew Gary Little. He was a kind and caring man. This is a shame for him as well as for Kevin Warren. He should have not have driven while drunk. If the rest of us have had something to drink, but are still legal at, say 0.03 or 0.06, we need to be extra careful and not get distracted with items such as cell phones, speeding, etc. This shouild be a lesson to all of us.
justcurious
Tue, Jan 31, 2012 : 12:54 p.m.
More "swift justice" in this case. Almost one year to get to trial, IF there are no more delays.