Union Township, MI — Three people were injured and two people were killed in an alleged DUI accident in Union Township, Michigan, on Friday, December 5, 2014. The accident took place near the intersection of U.S. 127 and East Baseline Road, around 10:00 at night.
According to reports, Ryan Tree and allegedly intoxicated and traveling north in the southbound lanes of 127 when he crashed into a Volkswagen Passat being driven by Scott Kuhnert. Officials say the vehicles were traveling at highway speeds when the accident happened.
Kuhnert was killed in the accident. His passenger, who was not named, was taken to Sparrow Hospital. After the initial collision, Kuhnert’s vehicle spun and crashed into a Ford Focus being driven by Joshua Watters. Both Watters and a passenger suffered minor injuries.
Also killed in the accident was Tree. Police say he wasn’t wearing a seat belt at the time.
Approximate Scene of the Accident
Commentary
The time of night at which this accident happened forces me to wonder where exactly the alcohol came from. The truth of the matter is, drunk driving accidents are more likely to happen at this time of the day, and people don’t typically get drunk at home and then go out. In the majority of accidents, the drunk driver is on his way home from a bar. Bars in Michigan aren’t allowed to serve alcohol to those who are visibly intoxicated. If a bar continues to serve someone three or four drinks past their limit, and then that person goes out and gets into a wreck, the bar could be said to have played a very real role in bringing that about. Because of accidents like that, these laws were put in place to try and help regulate the safe sale of alcohol. If it turns out a bar was involved here, it could be held partially liable for the accident. It wouldn’t be held responsible instead of the driver, but in addition to him, as they both played a part in the accident. I don’t know if a bar was actually involved, but it’s definitely something that should be looked at.
— Grossman Law Offices
