Pedestrian struck and killed in Ypsilanti Township by unlicensed driver, deputies say
An Ypsilanti Township resident who never obtained a driver's license was arrested after striking and killing a pedestrian with a car Monday night in the township, Washtenaw County sheriff's deputies said.
The 46-year-old victim, whose name has not been released, was struck about 10:17 p.m. by a 1998 Dodge Intrepid as he was crossing Ellsworth Road, a Sheriff's Department news release said.
The Ypsilanti Township man was taken to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the release said.
According to the release, the Intrepid was traveling east as the man was walking south. The accident occurred west of Hewitt Road, the release said.
The 33-year-old driver is being held at Washtenaw County jail as prosecutors review the case for possible criminal charges.
Derrick Jackson, the Sheriff Department's director of community engagement, could not immediately be reached for comment this morning.
Anyone with information can call the department's confidential tip line at (734) 973-7711.
Comments
ACertainMan
Sun, Mar 28, 2010 : 4:53 p.m.
And why hasn't the 333 year old driver been identified yet...????
Reneey
Sun, Mar 28, 2010 : 11:01 a.m.
People these days are not pedestrian friendly. We all need to slow down and obey traffic laws. It's to bad a man had to die.
nxil2009
Wed, Mar 24, 2010 : 8:27 a.m.
The legal penalty for driving without a license is plenty serious. The first conviction is 93 days in jail and is lengthened with each subsequent conviction. However, the county jail is less than half the size of the average jail in the state. That means it is less than the 50th percentile. As if being in the 50th percentile is a good thing. The state has a similar problem with prison space and with Jenni closing more prisons and letting thousands of offenders out the situation is not going to improve. The only way there will be any affect on unlicensed drivers is to hold them in jail to the max or near the max of the allowable sentence. Absent that there is nothing to discuss. BTW, there are LOTS of people in this county who have never gotten a license or are suspended. And why would they even attempt to get one? There is no serious penalty. Good people with jobs and morals get their license and pay their tickets because they have something to loose. But that is a decreasing number. There are too many people who have nothing or little to loose even if they are caught. And if they are caught, the penalty is initially a ticket. Not arrest. If that ticket turns into a warrant, they routinely are not taken to jail because of overcrowding. If they are taken to jail, they are arraigned within 2 days and usually get out on a personal recognizance bond with a "promise" to return for a trial date. They don't go to the trial date which leads to another warrant where they routinely are not taken to jail because of overcrowding. If they are taken to jail they are taken for re-arraignment within 2 days. They will plea some hardship that caused them not to be able to show for the trial. They usually get out on another personal bond with another "promise" to return for a new court date a month or 2 in the future and they fail to show. In the mean time they might have been stopped by the police and ticketed again for not having a valid license. To see what happens after this, reread this paragraph. Change the process and the sentence or just stop talking about it because it will not change.
breadman
Tue, Mar 23, 2010 : 7:11 p.m.
You need to update the paper, because it was on the channel 7 news.
Patricia Estep
Tue, Mar 23, 2010 : 5:03 p.m.
The unlicensed driver who killed a pedestrian in Ypsilanti Township will never receive an appropriate punishment because Michigan law is much too lenient in two aspects. First, driving without a license is a misdemeanor in Michigan. There is little more than a slap on the wrist for the offender. Second, the scope of the felony murder law in Michigan is much too narrow. In general, felony murder is causing the death of someone while committing a felony. Felony murder is punished as first degree murder (life without the possibility of parole). However, in Michigan, there are just a few felonies that would place the killer under the felony murder law umbrella. The Legislature needs to make driving without a license a felony and it needs to make felony murder apply to the commission of all felonies. This would send a message to anyone who drives a car without a license that the people of this state will not tolerate outlaw behavior. The victim of the unlicensed driver in Ypsilanti got a death sentence; at the least, his killer should get a life sentence.
Stefan Szumko
Tue, Mar 23, 2010 : 4:22 p.m.
I'm sorry to hear about the loss of life. Ellsworth Road is not particularly pedestrian-friendly. Although this incident happened at Hewitt Road, the Carpenter Road stoplight must seem like an eternity for someone on foot waiting for the crosswalk light to change. It's bad enough for drivers. Plus, the intersections are not natural paths between shopping meccas and housing developments. Perhaps traffic islands are under consideration in the future? Let's not lose more pedestrians.
amazonwarrior
Tue, Mar 23, 2010 : 3:44 p.m.
Sincere condolences to the family of the man who was killed.
Matt Cooper
Tue, Mar 23, 2010 : 1:13 p.m.
Thank you for the reminer Edward. Seriously, thank you!! Some folks here forget to be civil. I myself have done it and had one post pulled for rudeness. And for thos that say it must be an immigrant based on the fact that he never had a driver license, let me just say....Huh? Where in this story did you see anything that would lead you to that twisted conclusion? I know someone that is 36 years old and has never had a driver license in their life because of epilepsy. Oh, and guess what...she was born here! My suggestion: Think before you speak people. And if you don't know the facts, 'tis better to not speak at all until you do.
scooter dog
Tue, Mar 23, 2010 : 12:50 p.m.
Lotsa,lotsa people driving vehicles everywhere these days that have no business doing so either by not having a license, no insurance, or are not a resident of the usa,ect.If you are the unlucky one to get run over and killed by them,good luck getting anything from them in court as 99% have zero assets.Killing someone with a vehicle in michigan means most always a probation sentence,very very rare you do ANY hard time,and if you get Melinda Morris as the judge she always gives probation.
b_ketch
Tue, Mar 23, 2010 : 12:43 p.m.
Even if the car belonged to someone else, their insurance coverage is null & void if they let a person without a license drive their car. Both the driver & vehicle owner can (and should) be sued for any & all damages to the full extent of the law.
ACertainMan
Tue, Mar 23, 2010 : 11:36 a.m.
"An Ypsilanti Township resident who never obtained a driver's license" 33 years old... Never... In 17 years "Sheriff Department's director of community engagement" What does that title mean? Why do I get the feeling the 33 year old isn't a US Citizen and might be hear as a illegal alien? The careful crafting of this story in what seems to be 'PC Terms' makes me suspicious.
jcj
Tue, Mar 23, 2010 : 11:13 a.m.
Not having a license does not make you a bad driver anymore than having a license makes you a good driver. But not having a license certainly makes you much more liable and probably means you are lacking in training. I don't think never getting a license is a major problem.( I don't think those numbers are great) But there are way too many drivers that have had multiple DUI's or too many tickets still driving! I would like to see these individuals have their vehicles confiscated and donated to charity.
swcornell
Tue, Mar 23, 2010 : 10:25 a.m.
I will never understand how an unlicensed driver has a car! If it's not his/her car then they are guilty of car theft or the car owner is guilty of facilitating a crime. When will our laws catch up to the reality? Take the cars away from those who are forbidden from driving!