DETROIT – A Detroit father and a young man have been charged in a high-speed crash that took the life a 2-year-old child and critically injured two other kids.
Michael Lipscomb Jr., 29, has been charged with second-degree murder, reckless driving causing death, and three counts of child abuse because prosecutors said his three children were in the backseat of his car.
Jeffery Roberts, 20, has been charged with second-degree murder, reckless driving causing death and three counts of reckless driving causing serious impairment.
Detroit police said Lipscomb and Roberts were drag racing when they crashed. Prosecutors said Lipscomb had his kids in the car when he was speeding on West Eight Mile Road and Cherrylawn Street in Detroit.
The 2-year-old boy was killed. A four-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl were critically injured.
When police got to the scene, they found several injured people lying in the grass and in their cars. During the afternoon of Sept. 4th, police said Lipscomb ran a red light, hit another car and crashed into a vacant building.
Police said Roberts also ran the red light.
The innocent driver that was hit was also injured and taken to the hospital.
In a statement, Wayne County Prosecutor Kim Worthy said:
“Do we really have to remind drivers that one should not drag race down a city street at deadly speeds - especially with unbelted children in the car? Seriously? But apparently, we do, because these are the alleged facts in this case. One child is dead and two others are seriously injured. Come on - we are better than this,”
Lipscomb is expected to be arraigned in a few days. Both men are expected to be in court later in October.
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