Jason T. Teddy, the Michigan State Police lieutenant charged with causing a drunk driving crash that seriously injured a motorcyclist, has been bound over for trial. He appeared in the Bay County District Court recently, and waived his right to a preliminary hearing, which means he was immediately bound over to the Circuit Court. A trial date has not been scheduled yet.
Teddy, a detective first lieutenant, is facing two charges. Operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, a 93 day misdemeanor under Michigan law, and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing serious injury, which is a five year felony.
Court records show that Teddy is accused of driving drunk on May 2nd in Bangor Township. The accident happened at about quarter to midnight when Teddy, who was driving a 1999 Lexus on State Park Drive, crashed into 29-year-old Hilary A. Briggs from behind. She was thrown into the street from her 2007 Honda and sustained serious injuries.
Officers from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. Teddy is alleged to have told the on-scene officers that he and a friend were chatting in his car when the motorcycle just appeared in front of him without warning. He did admit to having had several beers that evening, but claimed that he didn’t feel intoxicated at all.
Although Teddy claimed to have had only a few beers, his breathalyzer put him well over the legal limit for Michigan drivers. The first BAC test, conducted at the scene, came back with a reading of 0.153. Later, at the Bay County Jail he again agreed to submit to a BAC test, and this time the result was a reading of 0.11.
This OWI case, already difficult because the accused is a police officer, has suffered its fair share of upheavals along the way. At first, after filing the charges, the Bay County Prosecutor’s Office requested that a special prosecutor be assigned in order to avoid any conflict of interest. The Attorney General’s Office complied, and Isabella County Prosecutor Risa Hunt-Scully was assigned to the case.
But just weeks later, Hunt-Scully, who is married to an MSP Trooper, asked to be removed from this OWI prosecution. Once again, the Attorney General transferred the case. This time, to the Gratiot County Prosecutor’s Office, where Prosecutor Keith Kushion will represent the prosecution in court.
As of yet, the Prosecutor’s Office has not offered Teddy a plea deal of any kind.
