CHARGES JUST DON’T FIT THE CRIME . >> IT’S VERY PAINFUL. WE I
PERSONALLY RELIVE THE ACCIDENT
IN MY DREAMS VERY FREQUENTLY.
VERY EMOTIONAL FAMILY OF A 13
YEAR OLD GIRL KILLED IN A
HORRIBLE CRASH.
>> WANTS ANSWERS. AND TONIGHT,
THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE IS
RESPONDING. THANKS FOR BEING
WITH US FOR LOCAL 4 NEWS AT
FIVE. I’M DEVIN SCILLIAN.
>> I’M KIMBERLY GILL, 13 YEAR
OLD PIPER CARRUTHERS DIED IN
MARCH OF ON HER WAY HOME FROM
SKATING PRACTICE IN WALLED LAKE.
THE OAKLAND COUNTY PROSECUTOR
CHARGED A 15 YEAR OLD DRIVER
WITH RUNNING FROM THE SCENE AND
FROM COPS.
>> WELL, NOW, FOR THE FIRST
TIME, PIPER’S PARENTS ARE
TALKING ABOUT THE CRASH THAT
KILLED THEIR DAUGHTER AND
INJURED OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS.
AND THEY ARE OPENLY CRITICIZING
THE CHARGING DECISION IN THE
CASE. ROD MELONI LIVE TONIGHT
WITH HIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.
ROD, THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE IS
ALSO RESPONDING. IN
>> INDEED THEY ARE. AND THIS WAS
A TRAGIC ACCIDENT THAT SENT HALF
A DOZEN CARS CAREENING IN AN
INTERSECTION LIKE PINBALLS,
INJURING FOUR PEOPLE. PIPER 13
YEARS OLD, PASS AWAY. BUT THIS
SITUATION BECAME INFINITELY MORE
DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE GRIEVING
PARENTS HAVE DECIDED THAT THEY
THINK THAT THIS IS A CASE THAT
WAS UNDER CHARGED WALL LAKE
POLICE DASHCAM VIDEO SHOWS A
JEEP GLADIATOR TAKE A LEFT HAND
TURN JUMPING THE RED LIGHT
EASTBOUND ON EAST WEST MAPLE
NEAR DECKER. THE OFFICER GIVES
CHASE AND CALLS IT OFF AS THE
JEEP GETS TOO FAR AWAY. IT KEPT
SPEEDING, JUMPED ANOTHER RED
LIGHT, SLAMMING AT A HIGH RATE
OF SPEED INTO MULTIPLE VEHICLES
.
>> THE FIRST THING I REALIZED
WAS THE AIRBAGS WERE OFF AND I
WAS SPINNING.
>> ERICA CARRUTHERS DROVE THIS
RED HONDA FIT HOME FROM ICE
SKATING PRACTICE, BLINDSIDED
WITH HER TWO DAUGHTERS IN THE
BACK SEATS. TEN YEAR OLD CORA
LAUNCHED FROM THE VEHICLE,
LANDING ON THE PAVEMENT WITH
TERRIBLE HEAD AND NECK INJURIES
. ERICA CALLED 911 THEN ONLY TO
SEE HER 13 YEAR OLD PIPER
SITTING LIMP AND TRAPPED IN THE
BACK. PASSENGER SEAT.
>> SHE DIDN’T LOOK GREAT AT THE
TIME, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY’RE
TELLING YOU SHE’S STILL
BREATHING, YOU STILL HAVE HOPE,
RIGHT?
>> HOPE WAS NOT ENOUGH. FIRST
RESPONDERS RUSHED PIPER TO HENRY
FORD HOSPITAL IN WEST BLOOMFIELD
. HER DAD, BILL, ARRIVING JUST
AHEAD OF HER AMBULANCE, WATCHING
IN HORROR AS DOCTORS FEVERISHLY
TRIED TO SAVE HER ONCE.
>> YOU KNOW, IT WAS CONFIRMED
THAT SHE WASN’T GOING TO SURVIVE
OF YOUR YOUR YOU TURN TO THE
NEXT CHILD THAT IS IN YOUR NEED
AFTER WEEKS OF EXTENSIVE MEDICAL
CARE AND SURGERY, BOTH CORA AND
ERICA WILL LIKELY RECOVER
PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY.
>> I PERSONALLY RELIVE THE
ACCIDENT IN MY DREAMS VERY
FREQUENTLY. WALLED LAKE POLICE
SAY TWO YOUNG MEN, 19 YEAR OLD
GAVIN CASAB OF COMMERCE
TOWNSHIP, WROTE IN THE PASSENGER
SEAT WHILE AN UNIDENTIFIED 15
YEAR OLD FROM WEST BLOOMFIELD
DROVE THE JEEP. AND AFTER THE
ACCIDENT, BOTH MEN RAN AWAY.
CASAB FACING FELONY FLEEING AND
ELUDING ALONG WITH MISDEMEANOR,
LEAVING THE SCENE OF AN INJURY
ACCIDENT. THE 15 YEAR OLD
DRIVERS CHARGED AS A JUVENILE
WITH THE SAME CRIMES AND COULD
POSSIBLY NOT RECEIVE ANY JAIL
TIME AT ALL. ERICA AND BILL ARE
DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED. THEY
BELIEVE THE CHARGES ARE ENTIRELY
TOO MILD.
>> I DON’T THINK EITHER OF US
WANT TO SEE THEM AT 20 BE ABLE
TO BE CLEAR OF THIS.
>> MY DAUGHTER ISN’T COMING OUT
OF HER URN IN IN 4 OR 5 YEARS.
SHE’S IN THERE FOREVER. OAKLAND
COUNTY PROSECUTOR KAREN MCDONALD
DOES HAVE THE DISCRETION TO
CHARGE THE JUVENILE AS AN ADULT.
>> AND AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE
CARRUTHERS FAMILY TODAY,
WILLIAMS IS NOW SAYING SO WE
RECEIVED SOME NEW INFORMATION
THAT THAT THE PROSECUTOR DIDN’T
HAVE WHEN WE MADE THE INITIAL
DECISION.
>> AND SHE WANTS TO TAKE THE
TIME TO TAKE A VERY CAREFUL LOOK
AT THAT AND SEE IF, IN FACT, WE
SHOULD ADD CHARGES AND WHETHER
THERE’S ANY OTHER STEPS WE NEED
TO TAKE, BECAUSE WE NEED TO DO
THE RIGHT THING. DAVID WILLIAMS
ALSO TOLD ME THAT THERE IS THIS
CONCERN ABOUT WHETHER
MANSLAUGHTER SHOULD HAVE BEEN
THE CHARGE.
>> AND HE SAYS THAT THE FLEEING,
ELUDING FIRST DEGREE THAT THEY
HAVE CHARGED THESE TWO YOUNG MEN
WITH COMES WITH THE SAME
PENALTY, AT LEAST AS A FELONY,
AN ADULT FELONY AS A
MANSLAUGHTER CASE. SO HE SAYS
THAT WAS A CONCERN THAT THE
CARRUTHERS HAD. AND HE SAYS THAT
IT’S EXACTLY THE SAME IN TERMS
OF PENALTY.
>> ROD, TALK ABOUT THE COURTROOM
VISITS FOR THESE TEENS. WELL SO
FAR, THE UNIDENTIFIED 15 YEAR
OLD REMAINS IN THE CHILDREN’S
VILLAGE, AS WE UNDERSTAND IT.
>> BUT GAVIN GAVIN KASSAB WAS IN
THE COURTROOM TODAY AND A JUDGE
DECIDED THAT THE $250,000 BOND
THAT HE HAD, ALONG WITH ANOTHER
CASE THAT HE HAS LOCALLY IN ONE
OF THE CITIES THAT HE WAS
CHARGED IN NOW MUST REMAIN UNDER
HOUSE ARREST WITH A TETHER ON
HIS ANKLE AND $250,000 BONDS
REMAINS IN PLACE. OBVIOUSLY
REALLY CURIOUS TO KNOW MORE