Romulus man charged in fatal crash that killed Vivian Carmody, wife of Eastern Market CEO

A Romulus man has been charged in connection with the car crash that killed Vivian Carmody and injured her husband, Dan Carmody, the chief executive officer of Eastern Market Corporation, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office announced Wednesday.

Jacob Thomas Mraulak, 28, of Romulus, faces several charges in connection with the crash, which happened Friday evening while the couple was walking on St. Aubin near East Lafayette in Detroit.

The Prosecutor's Office and Detroit Police Department said Mraulak was intoxicated and drove onto the sidewalk and struck the couple. Mraulak was “driving against traffic on East Lafayette Street near St. Aubin Street when he drove onto the sidewalk, striking both victims,” the Prosecutor’s Office said.

Eastern Market Partnership CEO Dan Carmody, right, and his wife Vivian Carmody.
Eastern Market Partnership CEO Dan Carmody, right, and his wife Vivian Carmody.

Detroit Police Chief James White said Monday that the suspect was "intoxicated with narcotics and alcohol." "He went through what appears to be a possible overdose while driving when he lost control of the vehicle," White said.

The Carmodys and Mraulak were transported to the hospital, according to the Prosecutor's Office news release, where Vivian “succumbed to her injuries later the same day and was pronounced deceased.”

Mraulak was set to be arraigned in 36th District Court on Wednesday and charged with:

  • Operating while intoxicated causing death.

  • Reckless driving causing death.

  • Operating while intoxicated causing serious injury.

  • Reckless driving causing serious injury.

“This is a harsh fact: Every time you get behind the wheel of a car, you should be acutely aware that you are potentially driving an instrumentality of death," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said. "Traffic accidents happen. There is no denying that. Criminal traffic tragedies do not just happen. There is a reason for them, and criminal consequences attach including, possibly, a loss of freedom. Our hearts go out to Mr. Carmody and his family at this very difficult time.”

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Romulus man charged in crash that killed Eastern Market CEO's wife