Resident of Mexico without driver's license charged in fatal hit-and-run crash in Clinton County

Ken Palmer, Lansing State Journal
·2 min read
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EAGLE TWP. — A citizen of Mexico who doesn't have a valid driver's license has been charged in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a man last weekend, police said.

Jose Molina-Fuentes, 39, who was living in nearby Portland, is charged with failure to stop at the scene of a fatal crash and operating with a suspended or revoked license causing death, according to police and court records.

Molina-Fuentes' attorney, Michael Oakes, said he still was trying to determine what happened in the crash. He said it was his understanding that his client has a driver's license.

Police said Molina-Fuentes was driving a westbound vehicle on Grand River Avenue that struck Tyler Ray Olson, 30, of Eagle Township, as Olson rode an electric scooter on the westbound shoulder shortly after 11 p.m. Friday.

Olson was riding with illuminated lights and was wearing a reflective safety vest when he was struck and killed just west of south Hinman Road, Clinton County Sheriff Sean Dush said.

Deputies recovered vehicle parts at the scene and said at the time they were seeking a 2007 Ford Edge of unknown color. The vehicle suffered damage, losing a side mirror. A side fog light assembly also was lost.

Investigators also were able to get video images from a restaurant at Grand River and Wright roads, and Molina-Fuentes was arrested on Saturday, Dush said.

The arrest stemmed from "outstanding police work," said Dush, who added that it was not the first time he's seen a serious crash involving an unlicensed driver who is not a U.S. citizen.

"It's frustrating," he said. "This definitely could have been prevented, and that's what's sad."

Molina-Fuentes was arraigned Monday, court records show. Police did not release his name or Olson's name until Wednesday.

A hearing to determine whether Molina-Fuentes should stand trial on the charges was set for Aug. 31.

An online obituary said a memorial service for Olson is set for 11 a.m. Aug. 26 at Firm Foundation Ministries in Centreville. Visitation was set for 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. that day.

Donations can be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in Kentwood, the obituary said.

Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Mexican resident without driver's license charged in fatal crash