WALLED LAKE, Mich. – A man accused of filming a police chase from a fleeing car before the driver caused a four-car crash that killed a 13-year-old girl and hurt five others has learned his sentence.
Crash details
The crash happened the night of March 22, 2023, at the intersection of West Maple and Decker roads in Walled Lake.
Officials said a 15-year-old was driving a Jeep Gladiator and fleeing police at speeds of up to 98 mph. He sped through multiple red lights before crashing into two other vehicles at the intersection of West Maple and Decker roads.
That crash caused another collision, so four total vehicles were involved in the crash, police said.
Gavin Anthony Kassab, who was 19 years old at the time, was a passenger in the Jeep, officials said. Kassab was recording a video of the police chase before the crash.
The driver and Kassab both fled the crash scene on foot, leaving the Jeep behind, officials said.
1 killed, others injured
Erica Carrothers was driving one of the other vehicles involved in the crash. She was taking her 13- and 10-year-old daughters home from skating practice when their car was struck by the Jeep.
Her 13-year-old daughter, Piper Carrothers, was taken to a nearby hospital, where she died from her injuries.
The 10-year-old girl was ejected from the car, leaving her with serious head and neck injuries.
Erica Carrothers was also badly injured.
Three other people were injured in the crash and brought to a nearby hospital. All three were released later that night.
Charges from crash
Kassab, 20, of Commerce Township, was charged in May 2023 with first-degree fleeing and eluding police causing death, manslaughter, reckless driving causing death, and two counts of second-degree fleeing and eluding police.
The driver was charged with first-degree fleeing and eluding police causing death, failure to stop at the scene of a personal injury crash, manslaughter, reckless driving causing death, and two counts of second-degree fleeing and eluding police.
Kassab pled no contest on April 8, 2024, which means he didn’t admit guilt but he agreed not to contest the accusations.
Other legal issues
Shortly after he was charged in connection with the crash, Kassab was charged with 10 felonies linked to sexual acts with a child.
Officials said they had searched Kassab’s home days before the crash and seized his phones and computers.
Prosecutors said Kassab convinced a child to send him a video of a sex act. Kassab later shared that video, officials said.
These additional charges convinced a judge to increase Kassab’s bond to a combined $1.5 million. The judge said Kassab was “absolutely, completely out of control” and “a danger to society.”
Parents of 13-year-old speak
On Tuesday, June 4, 2024, Kassab returned to court to learn his sentence on the crash charges. The parents of Piper Carrothers spoke before the sentence was announced.
Her father, William Carrothers, said the family still struggles with not having Piper at their dinner table.
He also spoke about the day of the crash.
“That evening, Erica called me, frantically explaining they were hit while crossing the intersection of Decker and Maple roads,” he said. “I assumed an accident, but at that point, I had no idea just how horrific things were to turn out.”
He said he went to the hospital where his daughter was being taken, while his injured wife and younger daughter went to another hospital.
“Broken femur, shattered pelvis, among other massive internal injuries too numerous and awful to list,” William Carrothers said of Piper’s condition.
William Carrothers also described the serious injures to his 10-year-old daughter, and showed a picture of her in the hospital. He said he feared he would lose both of his daughters that day.
“One officer who responded to the crash scene in later hearings described Cora’s condition as ‘gruesome,’ with blood covering her face and body and the street as she was initially screaming in pain after the crash,” he said. “Piper, being pinned to the vehicle, was unable to move.”
William Carrothers said he wanted everyone in the court to know that at the time of the crash, Kassab was on bond for pending assault charges and under investigation for computer crimes.
“Yet he was still out that night, continuing his patterns of very risky and careless behavior, allowing an unlicensed person to drive, and causing chaos in our city,” he said.
“As if leaving my family to die in that intersection wasn’t shocking enough, a show of how little care and compassion he has for others, he and his family left for a Florida vacation a mere three days after killing Piper.
“He may have thought he was fast enough to get away with her murder that night, but he was mistaken.”
William Carrothers asked that Kassab be given at least 50 years in prison, and requested that any sentences from other cases be issued consecutively, as opposed to concurrently.
“To Gavin, should you choose to speak, please save your apologies for someone else,” he said. “Your no-contest plea means nothing more to me than to confirm you even now refuse to accept responsibility for what you did that night. No one who did what you did that night deserves anything less than whatever the maximum punishment I can beg this court for, regarding your own careless act, and I’m sure leaving evidence behind is your own biggest regret.”
Erica Carrothers spoke next. She told the story of March 22, 2023, saying she and her daughters took their normal route toward their home in Commerce Township.
“Unbeknownst to us, Gavin and his friend were out joyriding in a rented Jeep Gladiator,” she said. “After the police had tried to pull them over, they fled from the police. The end result was that my daughter Piper was killed, and both myself and my daughter Cora were seriously injured.”
She said Kassab has shown a “complete disregard for the law and the safety of people around him.”
Erica Carrothers listed actions such as allowing an unlicensed driver behind the wheel, fleeing police, speeding, running a red light, and fleeing the crash scene.
She also outlined everything her family went through while Kassab went on vacation with his family and spent 50 days without being charged.
“He could have chosen not to go out that night, seeing as he was on bond and his home had just been recently searched in connection to his other case,” Erica Carrothers said. “It took the death of my daughter Piper and him in jail in order to get the chain of criminal actions to shop.”
She said Kassab should be given the maximum sentence to make sure that something like this doesn’t happen again.
Kassab’s attorney clarified that there’s no evidence his client encouraged the driver to go through a red light. He also said the Jeep was going 72 mph, not 98 mph.
Gavin Kassab speaks
After he listened to the victim impact statements from both Carrothers parents and a family friend, Kassab stood and made his own statement.
“First and foremost, I apologize to the Carrothers family, all the victims, and the community for their terrible loss and the harm I have caused. I send my deepest condolences and sympathies to the families.
“Every day I think of Piper Carrothers, Piper and her family. Every day I pray for the soul of Piper and the wellbeing of the Carrothers family.
“I accept responsibility for my actions. I am truly remorseful for my conduct and behavior. While I have been incarcerated, I reconnected with God. I meet with the priest, attend services, I read the Bible and pray the rosary every day.
“I pray the Carrothers family will soften their hearts so they may forgive me for my sins. I pray that God will forgive me. I promise and pledge when I return to the community, I will be a law-abiding citizen and contribute positively to the community.
“Once again, I sincerely apologize to the Carrothers family, all the victims, and the community. Thank you, Your Honor, for allowing me to speak.”
Judge reads sentence
Kassab’s defense disputed that he was a decision-maker in the crash, saying that the 15-year-old was the one driving the Jeep.
Prosecutors argued the 15-year-old can be heard in the recorded video asking Kassab what they should do as they approached the intersection, and Kassab told him to “go, go, go.” Kassab says he is the one who asked what they should do, and that the driver said “go, go, go.”
Judge Victoria Valentine said the court believes Kassab was a decision-maker, especially as the only adult in the Jeep.
After listing to the statements from the Carrothers parents and Kassab, Valentine spoke directly to Kassab.
“The harm that you have done to the community is unfathomable,” Valentine said. “The amount of opportunities that you had to retreat and to tell the driver to retreat -- you never did. After the crash, I watched the video, you can hear the people screaming and crying in pain while you were running and taking away resources from the people who could have helped the victims because they chased you. This was added on top of all the other instances you previously had leading up to this behavior.”
Here’s how Valentine sentenced Kassab on the charges:
- Homicide -- manslaughter with a motor vehicle: 8-15 years in prison, with 353 days credit.
- First-degree fleeing a police officer: 8-15 years in prison, with 353 days credit.
- Reckless driving causing death: 8-15 years in prison, with 353 days credit.
- Second-degree fleeing a police officer: 5-10 years in prison, with 353 days credit.
- Second-degree fleeing a police officer: 5-10 years in prison, with 353 days credit.
You can watch the full sentencing in the video below.
