A Westland man who was convicted of two misdemeanors earlier this month for his involvement in a crash that killed a mother and her adult daughter in Shelby Township last June was sentenced in 41A Shelby Township District Court on Monday.
Jose Eugeno Medina-Hernandez, 33, was sentenced by Judge Douglas Shepherd to 24 months of reporting probation, 50 hours of community service and 270 days in the Macomb County Jail with credit for time served. Shepherd also ordered Medina-Hernandez to pay $1,000 in fines plus all interpreter fees.
Medina-Hernandez is a Mexican national and required an interpreter in the courtroom.
Judge Shepherd said sentencing is difficult in these types of cases where the person being charged was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
“Those cases are easier because the person has taken an action that has endangered the public; here we have a moment of inattention that caused the loss of two family members,” said Shepherd. “The defendant has no prior record, yet we have two of our fellow citizens who have died as a result of the actions here.”
Shepherd said he hoped the sentencing would help to bring closure and peace to the families of the two victims.
On June 6 at approximately 12:30 p.m., Medina-Hernanez was driving a box truck southbound on the Van Dyke Freeway in Shelby Township when his vehicle rear-ended a Buick Verano occupied by the victims, triggering a chain reaction involving two other vehicles.
Medina-Hernandez had a chauffeur’s license and was delivering merchandise for Lowe’s, which was renting the truck from another company.
Washington Township resident Nancy Richmond, 88, and her daughter, 63-year-old Crystal Brunn of Auburn Hills were killed in the crash.
Medina-Hernandez’s attorney, Mani Khavajian, stated repeatedly throughout the one-day trial that his client was cut off by a white vehicle on June 6 and that it is the driver of that white vehicle who is responsible for the crash.
“There was a lot of chaos and there was tragic loss that day,” Khavajian said. “I don’t think it is wrong for me to say that this was a freak accident; my client is incredibly remorseful and this was not anything done with intention or ill will or anything like that.
“Whoever was driving that white van is still on the road.”
Assistant Prosecutor Mark Stepek requested that Shepherd take into consideration the defendant’s four previous car accidents when sentencing him. Khavajian disputed that statement saying his client had been involved in only two previous crashes.
Members of the victims’ families were in the courtroom on Monday but did not speak during the sentencing.
Medina-Hernandez turned to the family members and speaking through an interpreter offered condolences and at one point put his hand over his heart to emphasize that he understood they had experienced great loss.
Media-Hernandez is now set to be turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and could be deported to Mexico. The defendant has a U.S.-born wife and children. The defendant said he has never had previous issues with immigration and has been working and paying taxes in the United States for many years.
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