OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – The driver charged in a fatal Oakland County hit-and-run that killed a 22-year-old Michigan State University student on New Year’s Day is set to appear in court Tuesday.
Tubtim “Sue” Howson, 57, of Oakland Township, is back in Michigan after fleeing to Thailand to avoid facing charges in a hit-and-run that occurred on Jan. 1. She was brought back to the U.S. in February, and is scheduled to appear in court the afternoon of Tuesday, March 14.
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Howson is accused of fatally striking 22-year-old Benjamin Kable, a senior at MSU who is originally from Shelby Township and was home for the holidays. Kable was reportedly walking home from a party on southbound Rochester Road near Whims Lane when he was fatally hit by a vehicle.
The driver fled the scene after remaining “in the area for a short period of time,” witnesses reported. Kable was pronounced dead when first responders arrived.
That car was identified as a white BMW 3 series, and was later identified as being driven by Howson, who lives not far from the crash site, authorities said. The BMW was seized from an Oakland Township home on Jan. 5, but no arrests were made at that time.
Investigators later discovered Howson, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Thailand, bought a one-way flight out of Detroit on Jan. 3 and began her journey to Thailand. She was picked up by authorities in Thailand and brought back to the U.S. last month, where she was taken into custody upon arrival.
Howson is facing a federal charge of interstate flight to avoid prosecution, and a state charge of failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death. Both charges carry up to five years in prison.