WESTLAND, Mich. – A Michigan father of 3-month-old twins lost part of his leg after a neighbor purposely crashed her car into him in his driveway, per allegations.
Here’s everything we know about this case.
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Crash details
The crash happened at 7:17 p.m. Aug. 10, 2024, in the 34000 block of Florence Street in Westland.
Officers accuse April Marie Graves, 43, of Westland, of crashing her car on purpose. They found her still sitting inside the car at the crash scene.
She was taken into custody.
Luke Vinsko, 32, and Haley Vinsko, 31, both of Westland, were unloading items from a car in their driveway when Graves crashed into them, officials said.
Luke Vinsko was severely injured because the crash left him pinned. Firefighters had to remove him from underneath a car before taking him to a hospital for treatment.
Police said speed, as well as alcohol and/or drugs, appeared to be factors in the crash.
Charges for driver
Graves was charged with:
- Two counts of assault with intent to murder.
- Two counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm.
- One count of operating while intoxicated causing serious bodily impairment.
- One count of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury.
- Two counts of felonious assault.
- Two counts of malicious destruction of property over $1,000.
- Two counts of malicious destruction of personal property of $1,000.
- One count of open alcohol in a motor vehicle.
She was arraigned Aug. 13, 2024, in 18th District Court.
Leg amputated
Luke Vinsko had part of his leg amputated because of the injuries from the crash. He said he’s trying to manage his new reality with 3-month-old twins.
“My wife is phenomenal,” he said. “She’s been doing everything under the moon. Everything from scheduling my appointments to sorting my meds to anything you could possibly imagine.”
They said it’s been a struggle, but Luke Vinsko is keeping a positive attitude.
“I’m going to do everything I have been doing my entire life, but better,” he said. “It’s not going to stop me. It might slow me down, but it’s not going to stop me.”
He faces a lifetime of treatment and rehabilitation, which is partially why the family has filed a $50 million lawsuit (more on that below).
Vinsko family describes crash
Luke and Haley Vinsko spoke with Local 4′s Karen Drew about the crash.
“I saw a red car coming at us, and I watched as it hit him and pinned him between her car and his,” Haley Vinsko said.
It was the couple’s first date night out after their twins were born.
“There’s just blood everywhere,” Haley Vinsko said. “So I climbed over the garage door and got to him and called the police and just kept talking to him to make sure he stayed awake, right? And try to keep him calm as much as I could, and waited for the police and the ambulances to get here.”
“It took me a long time to get my head all together,” Luke Vinsko said. “And now that it is, I realize that being mad or being frustrated has never done me any good in my past, and it’s not going to do me any good now. So why?”
The family wants to move, and Luke Vinsko needs a place without stairs.
“I do not like being outside anymore,” Haley Vinsko said. “I hear cars accelerate, and I jump. I’m very nervous to be outside.”
Police response questions
Officers arrived quickly after Haley Vinsko called 911, but neighbors said they called police 45 minutes prior because of Graves’ erratic behavior.
The family is asking if Luke Vinsko would still have his leg if police had arrived at the scene earlier.
Westland police statement
Westland police said in a statement that when they got the first calls about Graves, multiple officers were busy with a traffic stop that appeared it might turn into a chase.
“At the time that this call was received, multiple units were already on a traffic stop that initially appeared as though it was going to turn into a vehicular pursuit when an officer observed a vehicle traveling at 90 mph in a 40 mph zone,” the statement reads, in part. “This stop took some time to conduct, as the vehicle needed to be impounded, and arrangements needed to be made to notify the parents of the involved juveniles and also to transport them to the Westland Police Department to be picked up.”
Officials acknowledged the public concern about a delayed response. There’s an ongoing internal investigation into what happened.
Here is the full statement from the Westland Police Department:
The Westland Police Department has received, and continues to investigate, concerns related to a delayed response to the Aug. 10, 2024, incident where April Graves was arrested for intentionally ramming her vehicle into multiple other vehicles and a man, causing severe injury. Since receiving these concerns, the department has self-initiated an investigation into this matter. This investigation is not yet complete, but in the interest of transparency, the Westland Police Department has opted to disclose the following information.
Police received word from a concerned citizen that she and others had called the police on April Graves much earlier in the day, at approximately 4 p.m. Upon investigating these claims, it was discovered that police had been dispatched to a welfare check on a woman in the area of Wildwood and Marquette, a very short distance from the incident involving Graves. The physical description of this woman very closely matched the description of Graves, however, it was discovered through body worn camera footage that this was not the same person. Additionally, the other woman in question was under arrest and in custody at the Westland Police Department before any calls were received regarding the Graves incident.
The initial notification to officers regarding the April Graves incident was received at approximately 6:30 p.m. Westland officers were advised of a welfare check run that was holding regarding a female friend in the driveway acting erratic and uncooperative. It added that the woman was not combative but may be a “possible mental.”
At the time that this call was received, multiple units were already on a traffic stop that initially appeared as though it was going to turn into a vehicular pursuit when an officer observed a vehicle traveling at 90 mph in a 40 mph zone. This stop took some time to conduct, as the vehicle needed to be impounded, and arrangements needed to be made to notify the parents of the involved juveniles and also to transport them to the Westland Police Department to be picked up.
There were additional calls received by Dearborn Central Dispatch regarding April Graves that were placed after this time, which did increase the response priority level, causing police to be dispatched at 7:16 p.m. After cars had been dispatched, officers were updated that Graves had run her vehicle into a garage and a person. This additional information prompted the response of every available unit to the location.
The Westland Police Department acknowledges and understands the public concern regarding a delayed response in relation to an incident that ended in a great deal of property damage and worse, the severe injury of an individual. Due to this, the Westland Police Department has been conducting an ongoing internal investigation into this matter to assure that response to this run was prioritized and responded to in a manner adhering to department policy and procedures.
City of Westland
$50 million lawsuit
The Vinskos have filed a $50 million lawsuit against Graves and her insurance company, Progressive Marathon Insurance.
Mike Morse is representing the Vinsko family.
You can read the full lawsuit below.
