Testimony: Warren police SUV was going nearly 115 mph seconds before crash that killed 2
Relatives and supporters of the men, Cedric Hayden Jr., 34, and his lifelong best friend, DeJuan Pettis, 33, shook their heads when Sheriff's Deputy Joseph Bosek testified on Monday, June 23, about the speeds the police-owned Ford Explorer was traveling before and when it collided with a Dodge Durango the men were riding in.
Former Warren Police Officer James Burke, 29, is charged with two counts of homicide-manslaughter with a motor vehicle, a felony, and two misdemeanor charges, a moving violation causing serious impairment of bodily function and public officer−willful neglect of duty in the Sept. 30 crash. Burke was terminated by Warren police after he was criminally charged, his attorney, Marc Curtis, said after the hearing.
More: Warren police officer charged in deaths of 2 men in violent crash in September
More: New approach to domestic violence in Warren to help victims, hold suspects accountable
Bosek testified that event data recorder information indicated the police SUV was traveling at 113.5 mph four seconds before impact; 113.4 mph at three seconds before impact; 111.4 mph at two seconds before impact, and 108.8 mph one second before impact.
He testified that 2.6 seconds before impact was the first indication of braking and that there was evidence of braking "all the way through until you got to .7 seconds," when the anti-lock braking system kicked on. He also testified that steering control on the police SUV determined evasive steering, with an attempt to the right at 0.3 seconds and 0.2 seconds before impact and then to the left at 0.1 second before.
Bosek, the third witness to testify June 23, told the court that he also reviewed data from the Durango, which is anticipated to be discussed when the preliminary exam continues June 25 before Chief Judge John Chmura in 37th District Court in Warren. Chmura will decide whether or not to bind over Burke to the county's circuit court for trial.
The sheriff's office, which investigated the crash, previously indicated the police SUV had no emergency lights or sirens activated. A civil lawsuit filed in October against two officers and the city indicated the police SUV was traveling at or more than 100 mph.
The courtroom was full for the start of the exam, with many of those present relatives or supporters of Hayden and Pettis. Several wore white T-shirts with "Justice for Twan & Juan Friends til the end" on them. One woman dabbed her eyes with a tissue several times when the first witness, Officer Andrew Piasecki, who responded to the scene that night, testified, describing the scene as "pretty hectic" and that Burke appeared "shook."
Officer Rami Anees testified that he came upon the crash and saw Burke by the sunroof of the Durango, which was on its driver's side, trying to assist one of its occupants. Anees, who was in his third month of field training with Warren police at the time of the crash, testified that Burke "basically ordered" him to check on Burke's partner, then went back to assist Burke get the occupant out of the Durango.
He testified that he saw another occupant on the passenger side of the Durango. Once the civilians were out of the Durango, Anees said he did CPR on one of them, as the man had no pulse, until firefighters arrived. Anees, too, described Burke in "some sort of shock."
The sheriff's office indicated the police's oncoming SUV slammed into the Durango as it turned left from Schoenherr Road onto Prospect Avenue about 5 a.m. Fieger Law — the firm representing the men's families — released what it indicated were three new videos taken prior to and during the violent collision between the two vehicles.
Burke's 34-year-old partner was hurt in the crash, but has not faced any charges. Burke said little during the exam except to answer "Yes," your honor" to questions Chmura posed to him.
The sheriff's office previously indicated the Warren officers were responding to a Flock camera hit on a stolen, black Jeep Cherokee out of Sterling Heights that was traveling southbound on Schoenherr at 10 Mile. There allegedly were two stolen firearms in the Cherokee, the sheriff's office spokesperson previously said. She previously said there was no "pursuit," but the officers were responding to a be-on-the-lookout.
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Testimony: Warren police SUV going nearly 115 mph seconds before fatal crash
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