A prison sentence of 43 months to 15 years may be justice served for a teenager who killed a child, came close to killing her little sister and injured several others in a traffic accident last year then fled from the scene.
But considering he could be set free in a couple years due to time already served, some may question whether the sentence fits the crime.
Azlaan Shah Khan of West Bloomfield was handed the penalty a few days ago by Oakland County Family Court Judge Amanda Shelton, who opted to sentence him as an adult for manslaughter and other crimes when, as an unlicensed 15-year-old driver, he slammed a Jeep Gladiator into several vehicles at a Walled Lake intersection while fleeing police at speeds topping 98 mph.
The now 17 years old, he appeared at his Oct. 8 sentencing dressed in a blue inmate jumpsuit with a white, long-sleeved shirt underneath. He frowned as he was led into the courtroom by Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies and remained shackled during the hearing. The judge didn’t permit photographs of him in court.
At the hearing, the judge called the case “heartbreaking” and “as serious as it gets.”
“Azlaan, a child is dead because of your actions…the impact of this crime is permanent and devastating,” Shelton said.
The Carrothers family of Commerce Township was shattered by the horrific crash.
Piper Carrothers, 13, was trapped in one of the vehicles Khan barreled into and was pronounced dead at the scene. Her little sister, Cora, was ejected from the car and suffered severe head and facial injuries requiring multiple surgeries and weeks of hospitalization an extended in-home medical care. The girls’ mother, Erica, who had been driving them home from figure skating practice, was also injured. Drivers of two other vehicles and another child were also hurt in the crash.
If Khan remains locked up for the maximum sentence minus the 516 days credit for time served, he will be approximately 30 years old when released — as long as he behaves himself and doesn’t get into trouble while incarcerated. On the other end, it’s possible he could be released in a little more than two years.
Restitution is pending
Judge Shelton decided on what some consider a relatively-low minimum sentence despite acknowledging Khan’s troublesome history of run-ins with police, trouble in school among other problems, as well as repeated disciplinary issues during his 17-month stay in Children’s Village. He’s demonstrated a consistent pattern of misconduct and is a significant risk to public safety, Shelton said, and belongs in a Michigan penitentiary with programs that could address whatever issues he has.
A juvenile facility is, she said, “insufficient to address his needs.”
“We have failed you,” Shelton told the teen. “The juvenile justice system has failed you, failed to rehabilitate you with the resources we have available.”
The judge continued: “There’s nothing the court can do to make the people involved in this case whole again…we cannot change (what happened). I wish I could.”
She also expressed concern about the teen’s future behavior. “I hope somehow he can take this punishment and the resources provided to get it together,” she said. “Because if not, I will not be the last judge to see him.”
‘Leaves the door open’
Bill Carrothers, Piper and Cora’s father, said he and his wife, Erica, hoped for a longer minimum sentence. Khan’s passenger, then 19-year-old Gavin Kassab — who reportedly encouraged him to flee from police just before the crash and took off with him afterward — was charged with most of the same crimes as Khan. Kassab pleaded no contest like Khan did, and was sentenced by Judge Victoria Valentine last June to eight to 15 years in prison. At the time, Bill Carrothers called Kassab’s sentence “a slap in the face.”
But at least it gives the family time before Kassab is freed compared to how little time they might have before Khan — the one who took their child’s life — walks free, he said.
“We’re happy the judge went 15 years as the top (for Khan), but considering the judge said he was a public safety threat, it’s a pretty low minimum,” Bill Carrothers told The Oakland Press. “We were looking for eight to 15 years like Gavin got so we could have that ‘grace period’ before potentially dealing with parole 26 months from now. That’s disturbing.”
It also “leaves the door open and gives Azlaan a second chance so soon,” he said.
Yet given Khan’s behavior prior to the crash as well as what’s happened at Children’s Village, Bill Carrothers believes the probability is quite low that the teen will be out of prison after serving the minimum. “But we don’t know what the future holds,” he said.
Erica Carrothers said their top priority was to have the teen charged as an adult. “And after that decision was made, (prosecutors) stuck to their guns and went all the way through with it,” she said.
As far as the sentencing, she said “it turned out the way it did.”
“It could have been a lot worse,” she said. “But a lot hinges on his behavior in the next two years, and forward from there.”
‘She deserved to live’
Prior to sentencing Khan, Shelton heard from caseworkers and assistant prosecutor Heather Brown on the teen’s dozens of run-ins with police from several Oakland County communities before the crash including alleged threats, malicious destruction of property, criminal mischief and more. One incident led to an assault and battery charge.
Khan repeatedly drove vehicles without a license and had not earned any credits in his freshman and sophomore years at West Bloomfield High School, where he received nearly 100 referrals for fighting, cheating, smoking, trespassing and truancy and was headed for an indefinite school suspension for marijuana possession.
Caseworkers and Brown told the court that Khan’s misbehavior has continued. He’s shown lack of impulse control and contempt for female teachers, has been verbally combative, manipulative and disruptive with no regard for consequences for breaking the rules. He’s had one or more misconduct incidents every day, and has had no interest in participating in available mental health services.
And he’s shown no remorse for his crimes, they said.
“The Carrothers family has suffered such loss…he doesn’t take it seriously,” Brown told the judge.
In his victim impact statement, Bill Carrothers spoke of losing a daughter who was “a wonderful, smart, energetic young girl, accomplished and talented.”
“She had a bright future ahead of her and was making plans for it…she deserved to live, “ he said.
Bill Carrothers also said expressing what the family has endured is near impossible.
“There’s no way to describe how awful the loss of Piper is or how awful our loss will always be to our family…it’s an excruciating, long process which will never end for us,” he said.
Khan, he said, “made so many poor choices, it’s difficult to understand how anyone can behave in such a way.”
Bill Carrothers also talked about having to wait 50 days after his daughter’s death before charges were announced. “Fifty days of freedom for Azlaan while we planned Piper’s funeral and tended to our (other) daughter’s needs, and my wife’s needs. It was an extremely painful time to wonder if anyone would be held accountable,” he said.
He told the court that the case was undercharged, citing what he described as similar cases where people were killed in traffic crashes and the defendant was quickly charged with second-degree murder.
“I struggle to understand why more serious charges weren’t applied…I was told by law enforcement that this was second-degree murder all day long,” he said.
Erica Carrothers sobbed silently while her husband spoke. Then it was her turn to address the court.
Piper’s bedroom has been closed and untouched since the crash, Erica Carrothers said, adding that she can’t bring herself to drive anymore or go past the intersection where her daughter died.
She’s still undergoing treatment for her injuries as well as therapy for depression, insomnia and grief.
“We can no longer tell (Piper) how proud we are of her, or even that we love her,” she said.
Khan, she said, “was and is a danger to my family, and is also a danger to the general public. He could’ve made different choices before Piper was killed. He just chose not to.”
Some day, she added, Khan will “get out of prison and go back to living his life. “It’s a privilege Piper will never get,” she said.
‘Incredible wake up call’
Khan’s defense attorney Sam Bennett characterized the teen in a different light.
“There’s no question he’s had issues at Children’s Village — there’s no question his behavior has been off,” Bennett told the judge, citing mental health issues that should have been diagnosed earlier.
Yet contrary to what others reported, he said, Khan is remorseful and accepts responsibility for the crash as well as its effects on the Carrothers family.
“It’s been an incredible wake-up call for him,” Bennett said.
In a statement to the court, Khan asked the judge for another chance and said he was sorry for his actions. He then spoke about how he’s been affected.
“I can’t look at myself the same…I pray every day for the Carrothers family,” he said. “I was traumatized after what I did and wish I could stop thinking about it all day, every day…I hope you give me a chance, a chance to prove myself.”
‘Not over for us’
With Khan’s sentencing over, the Carrothers family say they’d like to see criminal charges considered for the teen’s mother and brother, who they believe bear some responsibility for the crash.
The Carrothers point to the cases against Jennifer and James Crumbley, parents of the school shooter at Oxford High School, which ended with prison sentences for “gross negligence.” Procesutors argued successful that the Crumbley’s allowed unfettered access to the gun their son used to shoot and kill four students and injure seven, and that they did not adequately address his mental health needs.
Could others be implicated for allegedly allowing Khan access to the vehicle he drove when he killed Piper?
When asked, a spokesperson for the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office told The Oakland Press that the investigation continues but that there are no charges.
“It’s important that the court held Azlaan Khan accountable for killing Piper, but it will not bring her back or lessen the loss her family has suffered,” said Prosecutor Karen McDonald, when asked about the case. “This defendant should never have been behind the wheel of a car, and his recklessness has robbed our community of a bright, innocent young life.”
And while Khan is headed to prison, the Carrothers’ involvement in the case continues. They’ve reached out to Michigan Department of Corrections parole personnel to learn about what they may expect in the next few years, Bill Carrothers said.
Added Erica Carrothers: “We still got the parole hearing (at some point), and everything to keep an eye out for when he’s released. It’s not over for us.”