Fatal Crash in Sterling Heights: 16-Year-Old Driver Kills Woman and Injures Husband and Son

A tragic incident unfolded in Sterling Heights, Michigan, as a 16-year-old from Detroit caused a fatal crash that resulted in the death of a 31-year-old woman. The woman's husband, aged 34, and their two-year-old son were also seriously injured in the accident. Lieutenant Mario Bastianelli expressed his sorrow over the event, stating, "It's a horribly tragic event."

According to Sterling Heights police, the crash occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Saturday near Van Dyke and Metropolitan Parkway. Authorities had attempted to make a traffic stop when the teenager decided to flee from police officers. Lt. Bastianelli revealed that there is reason to believe that the young driver may have been under the influence.

During their pursuit of the teen driver, law enforcement discovered that his vehicle—a tan Chevrolet Equinox—did not have car insurance after running its plates. Tragically, while attempting to evade capture by authorities, he ran a red light and collided with the family's vehicle.

The consequences of this reckless decision were devastatingly swift; within just 36 seconds of initiating pursuit by officers until striking innocent bystanders. Lt. Bastianelli emphasized how quickly poor choices can lead to such tragic outcomes: "So many people in the community are affected by this tragic loss at the decision of a 16-year-old who decided to flee from police."

The teenage driver was promptly taken into custody following the collision and will soon face felony charges related to this incident. He is currently being held at Macomb County youth home while awaiting further legal proceedings.

Whether he will be charged as an adult or juvenile remains uncertain and ultimately rests with prosecutorial discretion according to Lt. Bastianelli.

In response to this heartbreaking tragedy, Lt.Bastianelli has issued an important message for anyone contemplating fleeing during a traffic stop: "There are officers everywhere. At the end of the day, we are going to capture you, and we're going to get you into custody. So, fleeing is never going to make the situation better."

He urged individuals to pull over when instructed by law enforcement and deal with the incident at hand rather than putting lives at risk. Lt.Bastianelli emphasized that evading authorities not only endangers innocent people but also puts officers' lives in jeopardy.

As for the 16-year-old driver responsible for this devastating crash, it remains unclear what specific charges he will face. The Macomb County Prosecutor's office has yet to receive a warrant submission; however, it is anticipated that one will be forthcoming in the near future.

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