Speeding teen killed police captain in head-on car crash, Michigan official says
A 16-year-old has been charged in the death of a Michigan police captain, officials announced.
The teen has been charged in the February crash that claimed the life of Flint police Capt. Collin Birnie, Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said in a news release.
The teen is not being named because he is a juvenile.
According to investigators, at about 6 p.m. on Feb. 4, the teen was driving when he tried to pass multiple vehicles while going at “a very high rate of speed,” the release said.
While passing vehicles that began to slow down for him, the teen’s car began to sway and he lost control of the car, Leyton said in the release.
He crossed into the oncoming traffic lane and crashed into Birnie’s car, the release said. Birnie was on duty and was taken to a hospital where he died.
Leyton has filed a petition in Genesee Family Court to prosecute the 16-year-old as an adult on two felonies — manslaughter with a motor vehicle, and reckless driving causing death. Each felony carries a potential penalty of 15 years imprisonment.
This story was originally published May 11, 2022 at 10:56 AM with the headline "Speeding teen killed police captain in head-on car crash, Michigan official says."
