Suspected drunk driver charged in Macomb County crash that killed one person
WARREN, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A 36-year-old man, who prosecutors say was on bond for driving while intoxicated, is charged in connection with another drunk driving crash that killed one person in Macomb County.
According to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office, Demetrius Benson is charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing death, driving while license suspended causing death, attempted carjacking, possession of a control substance, and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.
Benson was arraigned and given a $500,000 cash/surety bond. If released, he will be required to have a steel GPS tether, no alcohol or drugs.
Officials say on Jan. 21, Benson was driving westbound on Eight Mile Road in Warren when he ran a red light, crashing into a vehicle traveling on Groesbeck Highway. The driver in that vehicle was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Officials say Benson fled the scene and attempted to carjack a van. During the altercation, he was dragged and run over by the van, breaking both legs and sustaining other injuries.
At the time of the crash, Benson was out on bond from Wayne County for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, according to prosecutors.
"This is a tragic loss of life that could have been prevented," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a press release.
