Disagreement leads to broken foot

The Leelanau County Sheriffs Office investigated an injury accident Sunday involving a 20 year-old Suttons Bay woman that was transported to Munson Medical Center with a foot injury.  Melanie R. Wheeler was speaking with Elijah J. McKitrick, 19, of Suttons Bay in the Suttons Bay Marina parking lot Sunday afternoon.  McKitrick got into his 2006 Volkswagon Jetta and began to back out of the parking spot.  Wheeler stood behind the vehicle in an attempt to prevent McKitrick from leaving.  McKitrick continued to back up and ran over Wheeler's foot.  Suttons Bay Rescue was summoned and transported the victim for treatment.  No citations were issued.

Driver keeps sense of humor after arrest

Leelanau County Sheriff's deputies stopped a vehicle for driving 82 mph on W Traverse Highway near S Cedar Road Sunday morning at 2:01 a.m.  The 27 year-old Traverse City man showed signs of intoxication and after being given field sobriety tasks he was arrested for Operating While Intoxicated.

The driver was read his breath tests rights and agreed to take the Datamaster breath test as offered.  He responded, "Yes Datamaster.  No anal probe".

The test result was .09%.  He was charged with OWI 2nd offense and Driving While Suspended.  He posted 10% $5000 bond pending a Friday District Court appearance.  Blog administration is unaware of any field sobriety task that involves probing anything.

NPS Rangers rescue woman

National Park Service Rangers came to the rescue of a female Saturday afternoon.  Leelanau Dispatch received a broken 911 call and were only able to determine that there was a problem in the Basch Road/ Port Oneida Road area. Using Phase II technology, dispatchers were able to determine the location of the cellular phone which made the 911 call near the Pyramid Point trailhead.

NPS rangers that were nearby investigating a hunting complaint responded to the area and learned from someone near the trailhead that a woman was locked in the pit toilet and unable to get out.  The rangers were able to free the woman who was no doubt very grateful that they were nearby to help.

Driver who crashed into house is sentenced

The 28 year-old Traverse City man who crashed into an Empire Township home and fled the scene in August has been sentenced.  Abraham E. Labonte was sentenced to 5 days in jail after pleading to reduced charges of Failing to Report an Accident and Use of Marihuana.  The drug plea was accepted under Michigan law 333.7411.

Michigan has a delayed sentence option for drug use and possession crimes. It allows those who have never been convicted of either use or possession of a controlled substance to plead guilty under 7411.  It is only for use on possession charges and not for drug dealing, manufacturing, or maintaining a drug house.  If probation is completed successfully then no judgment of guilt will appear on the defendant's public record.  Since no judgment of guilt is ever entered, the Secretary of State doesn't impose any driver's license sanctions, like the mandatory suspension for a drug conviction.

Labonte drove through a stop sign and struck a house while airborne at S Glen Lake Road and W Mcfarlane.  The crash happened at 1:09 a.m. and Labonte fled the scene on foot when he was unable to drive his vehicle from the scene.

He was initially arrested and charged with Operating While Intoxicated and Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident.  The OWI charge was dropped in exchange for Labonte admitting responsibility to a Careless Driving civil infraction ticket.  He will pay $1050 in fines and costs and restitution to the home owner which will be determined at a December hearing.

 

Two women arrested for probation violations

Two women were arrested over the weekend in unrelated cases.  Kristen M. Hounsel, 42, of Cedar surrendered on a District Court bench warrant after failing a court ordered daily breath test two days earlier.  Hounsel pleaded guilty to Assault and Battery involving the shovel assault on a man in Kasson Township in July.  Hounsel struck a 40 year-old Maple City man in the groin numerous times with a spade while he was being assaulted by two of her friends.  They were also injured by the shovel.

Neither of the other two attackers were charged in the case.  Hounsel was originally arrested for Felonious Assault but later pleaded guilty to Simple Assault.  Alcohol was involved in the incident. 

Hounsel remains jailed without bond pending a District Court appearance.

Sandra L. Adams, 50, of Traverse City, was sentenced to 365 days in jail with credit for time already served.  She had her probation terminated unsuccessfully by the court after pleading guilty to Operating While Intoxicated 2nd Offense earlier in the year.  Fines and costs were preserved by the court and must still be paid after Adams is released from jail.