Man Dies In Flint Area After Crashing Stolen Police Car

A 24-year old Michigan man has passed away after stealing a Michigan State Police car early on the morning on July 9, 2017, and crashing it 20 miles away. 

MLive reports that police officials were called to the area of M-55 and Plank Road in Tawas shortly after 4 AM, to look for a man driving a golf cart along the road without headlights. 

Phillip Everett, of Greenbush, Michigan in Alcona County, was stopped by troopers and arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. As troopers worked to secure the golf cart, Everett was able to move into the driver’s seat of the police car and drive away at high speeds. 

Law enforcement discovered a short time later that Everett had crashed the patrol car at southbound US-23 near East Bessinger Road in Arenac County. He died as a result of his injuries sustained in the crash. 

Drunk driving crashes kill 1 person every 51 minutes in the United States, despite all 50 states making it illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher. As in Everett's case, driving while impaired may lead to arrest, serious injury, and even death. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends the following safety tips to help prevent drunk driving:

  • If you will be drinking, plan on not driving. Plan a safe ride home before you start the party. Designate a sober driver ahead of time or plan to use a ride-sharing business like Uber or Lyft.
  • If you become unexpectedly intoxicated, do not drive for any reason. Once again, call and Uber or call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation. The NHTSA also has a SaferRide mobile app available, allowing users to call a taxi or friend and identify their location so they can be picked up. 
  • If someone you know has been drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. Take their keys, take them home, or help them arrange a sober ride. 
  • If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact your local law enforcement. Your actions could help save someone’s life. 

Drunk driving can lead to serious injuries or fatalities. Reckless driving and speeding may also lead to accidents, endangering drivers, passengers, and people in other motor vehicles and on the roads. If you or someone you know has been involved in a severe car crash, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation. 

Safety Organizations Concerned As Traffic Fatalities Rise

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and State Highway Safety Office members are becoming alarmed over the increase in motor vehicle fatalities in the United States. In 2015, 35,200 individuals lost their lives while on the road, representing the largest year-over-year percentage increase (7.7%) since national record-keeping began. 

“Although that figure is well below the more than 40,000 people killed annually just a decade ago, each death on U.S roadways is unacceptable, and, after many years of progress, this increase is troubling,” Claims Journal wrote in an article this past week. The safety organizations say there are clear solutions to this increasing problem. Solutions include strong road laws with highly-visible law enforcement and more in depth public education campaigns. When these tactics have been used in the past, the nation has seen a nearly 25% drop in the number of fatalities between 2005 and 2014, including a record low in 2011. 

The GHSA has repeatedly stated that they are determined to keep the most at-risk road users safe. While auto accident fatalities have risen quite dramatically in the past year, pedestrian and motorcycle fatalities have increased even more. Those groups have seen a 10% increase each in fatalities over the past year. The Claims Journal points out that while “improving vehicle safety has increased the likelihood for passenger vehicle occupants to survive a crash, pedestrians and motorcyclists lack these same benefits and remain just as susceptible to serious injury or death in the event of a collision.”

The GHSA has a similar goal to what the Michigan Department of Transportation and Michigan State Police have been promoting, a “Towards Zero Deaths” campaign. Part of the campaign reminds drivers on the expressway how many motor vehicle fatalities there have been so far in 2016 by updating electronic highway signs. 

As accident fatalities continue to rise across the United States, drivers must become more cautious when out on the road. Next time you think you can make that yellow light going on red, think about the people you could be putting in danger, including yourself. If you or somebody you know has been injured in an auto accident caused by reckless or aggressive driving, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC. Our attorneys are highly experienced in handling all types of motor vehicle accidents, including collisions caused by careless driving. Call us today, at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.