Operating While Intoxicated Charge After Car Ends Up in the Flint river
Matthew Allen Crumm, a 33-year-old from Flushing is facing a single count of operating while intoxicated, after his car ended up in the Flint River back in March. Interestingly enough, this incident happened just days before another, unrelated driver did exactly the same thing. That 59-year-old woman ended up in the river not far from the very same spot where Crumm’s vehicle was submerged, although she didn’t face any charges as a result.
According to Michigan State Police, Crumm drove his white 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer into the river behind Bueche’s Food World in Flushing in the early morning hours. The car apparently floated down the river for almost a mile, before finally coming to rest near Industrial Drive.
No one is certain at what point Crumm got out of his vehicle, but authorities confirmed that he is unharmed and no one else was involved in the incident. The Flushing Fire Department was contacted by someone who reported a car in the river. At this point MSP became involved as well.
Just after 8am, a dive team was sent into the river to determine if the vehicle was empty or had occupants. Upon discovering that it was empty, the car was extracted from the water. No information is available regarding why there was such a long delay between the incident and his first hearing, but Crumm was finally arraigned in late November on the single operating while intoxicated count.
Another thing that there seems to be very information about is why the original December 22nd pretrial hearing was rescheduled. The new hearing date on the operating while intoxicated charge has been rescheduled for January 21st before Genesee District Judge David J. Goggins.
According to Lieutenant David Kaiser of the Michigan State Police, MSP laboratory results have revealed that Crumm’s blood alcohol level was only .09, which puts him just slightly above the state’s legal limit for drunk drivers.
In Michigan, a single count of operating while intoxicated, assuming this is Crumm’s first offense, is a misdemeanor charge punishable by up to 93 days in jail. In addition, conviction could result in substantial fines and a 30 day loss of his driver’s license, followed by 150 days of license restrictions.
