DETROIT – An 18-year-old charged with being part of a group who beat a driver after he accidentally hit a 10-year-old boy in Detroit with his pickup truck has been sentenced to probation and drug testing.
Bruce Wimbush admitted to striking Steve Utash during the April 2 attack. Police have said Utash, a 54-year-old tree trimmer from Clinton Township, was not at fault for the incident. The boy was not seriously hurt, but Utash spent days in a coma.
Wimbush said he has a younger brother of his own and "got emotional" when he saw what happened.
"I learned that to not let my emotions take control of me. I'm very sorry to the Utash family. I'm very sorry for my actions in this situation. I also want to say, this will never happen again," Wimbush told the court.
Judge James Callahan on Monday sentenced Wimbush to three years of probation and to submit for drug tests. Since Wimbush was 17 at the time of the crime, Callahan also sentenced him under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act -- that means if Wimbush completes his probation and passes his drug tests, his record will be wiped clean.
Also on Monday, fellow defendant Wonzey Saffold was sentenced to six years and four months to 10 years in prison.