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Woman faces second-degree murder charge for crash that killed Cranbrook Kingswood football coach

Prosecutors say Wendy Ellen Bass was driving under the influence of alcohol

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – A Huntington Woods woman is facing a second-degree murder charge for a crash that killed a Cranbrook Kingswood football coach.

Prosecutors said Wendy Ellen Bass was drunk behind the wheel when she struck and killed Ben Jones, 30, on the I-696 Service Drive in August.

Many called Jones the father of the Cranes Football program and were shocked when they lost him. Jones was going to begin his second season as head coach before he was killed.

On Thursday, the woman accused of causing the deadly crash was in court.

Ben Jones (WDIV)

Ben Jones was in his Jeep on the evening of Aug. 19 when he was struck by a suspected drunk driver going east on the I-696 Service Drive near Woodward Avenue. Jones was killed.

Bass was arraigned on second-degree murder charges and operating under the influence causing death and reckless driving causing death.

Bass' attorney argued that she is not a flight risk despite the seriousness of the charges.

Bass was granted a personal bond. She is expected to be back in court on Nov. 3.

READ: More local news coverage

Cranbrook football team. (WDIV)

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Jason is Local 4’s utility infielder. In addition to anchoring the morning newscast, he often reports on a variety of stories from the tragic, like the shootings at Michigan State, to the off-beat, like great gas station food.

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Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.

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