Ryan P. James
From MLive.com
BAY CITY, MI— 2013-12-02— Crying as they spoke, the widow and daughters of a man killed in a drunken driving crash told a Bay County judge how their lives have been altered, as the man who caused the death hung his head and looked on.
The loved ones of Beaverton’s Elbert H. Nelson addressed Bay County Circuit Judge Harry P. Gill on Monday, Dec. 2, during the sentencing hearing for 26-year-old Ryan P. James. James on the evening of Nov. 11, 2012, was driving a 1999 Pontiac Bonneville on North Shore Road in Pinconning Township when he crossed the center line and collided head-on with a Chevrolet Impala driven by Nelson, 56 at the time. Emergency responders pronounced Nelson dead at the scene.
James in October pleaded no contest to single counts of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing death, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing serious injury and failure to stop at the scene of an accident when at fault resulting in death, all felonies. In exchange, the prosecution dismissed one misdemeanor count of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, second offense.
Gill sentenced James to two terms of 75 months to 15 years and one term of 40 to 60 months in prison. The terms are concurrent. The judge also gave James credit for 263 days already served and ordered him to pay $500 in restitution.
Jamette J. Nelson, Elbert Nelson’s widow who was in the vehicle with her husband when he was killed and herself injured, was the first of those affected to speak to the judge.
“I was introduced ….MORE
http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2013/12/family_of_beaverton_man_killed.html
First report on this booze cruise that ended the world for the Nelson family
http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2012/11/pinconning_man_charged_with_ki.html
