Man charged with felonies in deadly wrong-way crash on Palm Sunday
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A driver who police say was intoxicated when he caused a wrong-way freeway crash that killed a West Michigan pastor on Palm Sunday has been charged with two felonies.
Marcel D. Mcmillan is charged with operating while intoxicated causing death and reckless driving causing death. Both are 15-year felonies. Mcmillan had an appearance scheduled Tuesday in Grand Rapids District Court.
The crash happened about 8:30 a.m. on April 2 on US-131 near Burton Street. Police say Mcmillan was headed south in the northbound lanes when he hit a vehicle driven by Dean Elliott head-on. Elliott, 63, of Byron Center, died at the scene. Mcmillan, 31, was seriously injured.
Pastor killed in wrong-way US-131 crash ‘loved everybody’
A witness told police they saw Mcmillan’s GMC SUV enter US-131 at Hall Street headed south in the northbound lanes. The head-on collision with Elliott’s Lexus happened just south of Burton Street.
“While on scene, I observed a strong odor of burnt marijuana coming from the GMC SUV,’’ a Michigan State Police trooper wrote in a probable cause affidavit.
A blood sample was taken from Mcmillan at the hospital. An analysis showed a blood alcohol content of .116, according to court records. In Michigan, it is a crime to drive with a blood alcohol content of .08 or greater. The blood test also showed the presence of Delta-9 TCH in his system, court records show. THC is the active ingredient in marijuana.
Mcmillan, who lists an address in Comstock Park, is free on bond.
Elliott was a pastor who had worked with several local churches. He was headed to a congregation without a pastor in Manistee for Palm Sunday services when he was killed.
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