Roseville (WWJ)
-- Four students from St. Clair Shores were killed after the car they
were in was struck by a suspected drunken driver near Macomb Mall
Monday night.
The Macomb County Prosecutor, Eric Smith, says the driver of the second
vehicle had a blood alcohol content "more than twice the legal
limit" and will be facing second degree murder charges.
Roseville Police said Tuesday morning 19-year old Devon Spurlock was
the driver of the red Chevy Cobalt which was struck by a
suspected drunk driver. Spurlock died early Tuesday at
Mt. Clemens General Hospital.
Also killed in the crash were 15-year old Erica Haudek, 16-year
old Stephanie Currie and 16-year old Jordan Micelak.
They were pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.
The teens were traveling north on Gratiot near Masonic and stopped at a
traffic light about 8:30 p.m. Roseville Deputy Police Chief James
Berlin says at that same time, a woman driving a van
southbound on Gratiot lost control of her vehicle and collided
with the teens' vehicle, forcing it onto a nearby median and into a
utility pole.
Berlin says he's never seen an accident of this magnitude in his 20-plus years on the force.
Smith identifies the 47-year old driver of the van as Frances
Patricia Dingle from Clinton Township who is charged
with four counts of second degree murder and four counts of
operating while intoxicated causing death. If
convicted, Dingle could face life in
prison.
Dingle was arrainged in her hospital bed at St. John's Macomb
Hospital by Judge Joseph Boedeker with bond set at $1,000,000.
Dingle was released from the hospital at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday and was
taken to the Roseville Police Department Jail. She was then
processed and transported to the Macomb County Jail.
Her preliminary examination is set for March 25th at 8:15 a.m.
"Her actions in this case were egregious..suffice to say her
BAC, blood alcohol content, was more than twice the legal
limit," Smith told WWJ's Roberta Jasina.
Michigan Secretary of State records show Dingle had a valid drivers
license. Her license was suspended three times last year as a
result of her failure to pay fines related to not having proof of
insurance. Records show Dingle was involved in one accident
in January 2008.
Attorney James Simasko, who represented Dingle in a past divorce case
and has spoken to her family since the crash, said Dingle had battled
substance abuse in the past "but, according to the family, she's been
sober for approximately three years but recently relapsed. So
they're devastated, and their hearts and prayers go out to the family
members of the victims."
Simasko said he hadn't spoken to Dingle and was not yet representing
her in the criminal case. She has two daughters in their late
teens and early 20s, he said.
Smith said the teens were going out for pizza.
Counselors were at Lakeshore High Tuesday morning to talk with
classmates of the victims. Some students were seen crying at the
school.
Parents told WWJ's Vickie Thomas it's "scary" to have your children driving.
"When you put your teen behind the wheel, sometimes you have to
realize it may be the last time you see them," one parent
said.
A stretch of Gratiot was closed after the accident Monday night. The road reopened early Tuesday morning.
Teen Crash 3/17
WWJ's
Roberta Jasina talked with Macomb County Prosecutor Erik Smith on the
aftermath of an accident that killed four students in Roseville.
Education Minute 3/17
Imagine
trying to encourage students to do their research in a library without
computers? That's the subject of this edition hosted by WWJ's Pat
Vitale.
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