Jury deliberating after trial for Holland Township fatal drunk driving crash
GRAND HAVEN — The jury was deliberating late Friday, March 10, after hearing from witnesses, prosecution and defense during the trial for Michael Jay Brown Jr., who faces charges of operating while intoxicated causing death and second degree murder for a fatal crash in Holland Township in 2022.
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Brown, of West Olive, was charged with causing the February crash that killed Eugene Filar, 77, of Indiana, and seriously injured his 76-year-old wife, Carol Filar.
The jury heard details of the night of the incident, including where Brown went that evening (Brann's Steakhouse), how much he had to drink, and testimony from other drivers.
Earlier court records showed Brown drank at Brann's for about seven hours before getting behind the wheel. Staff at Brann's testified in March 2022 that Brown started drinking around 11:30 a.m. and was cut off after "several hours" at a table, when he started spilling his drinks.
Brown left Brann's sometime after 7 p.m. and drove onto northbound U.S.-31, where witnesses reported he drove wildly, changing lanes and speeding for less than half a mile before he rear-ended a car stopped at a red light between James Street and Felch Street.
Pre-crash data recorded in Brown's car showed he was driving 96 miles per hour seconds before the crash. Blood tests after the crash detected a 0.255 blood alcohol content, more than three times the legal limit of 0.08.
Brann’s Steakhouse ultimately had its liquor license suspended for two weeks, and was fined, over its handling of the incident.
Before Judge Jon Hulsing at Ottawa County's 20th Circuit Court, Grand Rapids attorney Jonathan Schildgen asked the jury not to classify Brown as a murderer.
“A murderer is set apart and put on the trash heap because we’re so scared and they should never see the light of day again,” Schildgen said. “Being a bad driver is not murder.”
Ottawa County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Cara Wilkinson asked the jury to find Brown guilty on both charges. She described, in detail, each of the five seconds leading up to Brown crashing into the victim’s car.
“He needs to slow down, he needs to brake, he needs to be cautious of people around him, but instead he presses down on that gas pedal almost to the fullest (extent),” Wilkinson said. “It was his choice to become intoxicated — a 0.255 blood alcohol content. It was his choice to drive his Charger on the road that night.”
Schildgen told the jury Brown “made mistakes” but had no intention of killing anyone.
— The Holland Sentinel contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Jury deliberating after trial for Holland Township fatal drunk driving crash
