Macomb County man convicted of second-degree murder in drunk driving crash
A jury has convicted a Southeast Michigan man of second-degree murder resulting from a fatal crash in 2024.
Jack Robb, 20, of Macomb Township, was convicted after a circuit court trial that ended May 1, the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office said. The deliberations lasted about seven hours.
Robb was remanded to Macomb County Jail and will be sentenced on June 25. The charge is punishable by up to life in prison.
The case involves a crash that happened on Jan. 7, 2024, in Shelby Township.
Robb, who was 17 years old at the time, was northbound on Hayes Road in a Dodge Ram pickup. Prosecutors said he was driving at about 86 mph when he disregarded a red light and struck a Honda Civic broadside. Austin Southwell, age 26, who was westbound on 21 Mile Road at the time, died as a result of the crash.
The prosecutor's office said investigators established that Robb drank alcohol and smoked marijuana prior to the crash.
"There is never an excuse for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This kind of reckless decision-making leads to devastating, irreversible consequences. One young man has lost his life and another will soon be sentenced for Second-Degree Murder. I hope this case serves as a clear and lasting reminder: do not drink or use drugs and drive," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said.
"I extend my deepest sympathies to the family of Austin Southwell. It is my hope that this conviction brings them some measure of relief and a sense of closure in the face of their profound loss."
