AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – A man accused of fleeing police and causing a crash that left one person dead and another seriously injured at an Oakland County intersection has been charged.
Kenneth Briddnell Carroll, 38, of Lake Orion, is facing nine felony charges in connection with the crash, the Auburn Hills Police Department announced Wednesday morning, June 19, 2024.
Driver flees traffic stop
An Auburn Hills police officer said he was on patrol around 7 p.m. June 6, 2024, when he saw a red 2020 Kia Forte speeding south on Lapeer Road. Carroll has since been identified as the driver.
The officer turned on his overhead emergency lights and tried to stop the Kia just north of Lapeer West Road, but Carroll accelerated and fled, according to police.
With the officer in pursuit, the Kia reached speeds of up to 88 mph, police said. The officer decided to stop chasing the car at Zelma Drive, after about a half-mile.
The Kia continued heading south on Lapeer Road and went over a small hill toward Walton Boulevard.
After the officer turned off his emergency lights, he said he saw smoke coming from the intersection of Walton Boulevard and Perry Street.
Crash scene
When the officer arrived at the intersection of Walton Boulevard and Perry Street, he saw that the Kia had crashed into a tan 2022 Ford F-150 pickup truck.
Carroll had run away from the scene, police said.
Injuries
A woman sitting in the passenger seat of the Kia was in critical condition.
The 68-year-old Auburn Hills man driving the F-150 was trapped in the wreckage and had to be extricated by firefighters. He was also in critical condition.
Both people were taken to nearby hospitals.
The 68-year-old man died from his injuries, officials said.
The woman remains in critical condition, but she is stable.
Carroll arrested
Auburn Hills officers and dogs from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office tried to track Carroll from the crash scene. But he was not immediately found.
The next day, around 5 p.m. June 7, a citizen called 911 and reported that someone was lying down in a wooded area about a half-mile from the crash scene.
Police arrived and took Carroll into custody. He was brought to the Oakland County Jail.
Charges
Carroll is facing nine charges:
- First-degree fleeing a police officer -- a felony with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
- Reckless driving causing death -- a felony with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
- Operating with a suspended, revoked, or denied license causing death -- a felony with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
- Failure to stop at the scene of a crash when at fault causing death -- a felony with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
- Second-degree fleeing a police officer -- a felony with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
- Reckless driving causing serious impairment of a body function -- a felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
- Operating with a suspended, revoked, or denied license causing serious injury -- a felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
- Failure to stop at the scene of a crash resulting in serious impairment or death -- a felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
- Possession of less than 25 grams of a controlled substance (cocaine, heroin, or another narcotic) -- a felony with a maximum penalty of four years in prison.
Carroll was arraigned Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at 52/3 District Court and denied bond. He will remain in the Oakland County Jail throughout court proceedings.
A preliminary examination is scheduled for July 3.
