DELTA COUNTY, Mich. (WZMQ) – A Delta County man and woman were seriously injured after an intoxicated driver hit them in their own yard.
Around 9:39 p.m. on October 23, troopers from the Michigan State Police (MSP) Gladstone Post responded to a crash in the area of US-2/41 near I.75 Lane. Two people had been seriously injured, and the driver had fled the scene.
The preliminary crash investigation indicates that the driver left the roadway, crossed a driveway, and struck a man and woman. The driver pinned them against their parked car, which was approximately 20 – 25 yards from the edge of the highway. The driver then continued through the yard and back onto the highway.
A Delta County Sheriff’s Office deputy located the driver roughly two miles from the crash scene. The driver displayed signs of intoxication, and further investigation was conducted. 69-year-old Escanaba man Matthew Smith was arrested and lodged in the Delta County Jail. The man and woman who were struck were transported to a hospital for treatment.
On October 28, Smith was formally charged and waived arraignment in the 94th District Court on charges of:
• Operating While Intoxicated Causing Serious Injury
• Failing to Stop at Scene Resulting in Serious Impairment/Death
• Failure to Stop at Scene of a Personal Injury Accident
• Failure to Stop After Collision
Bond was set at $25,000 cash/surety. MSP was assisted by the Delta County Sheriff’s Office, Rampart EMS, Menominee County Sheriff’s Office, and Hannahville Police Department.
