DETROIT – An Inkster man was bound over for trial Friday in a fatal crash into a group of people outside Shinola headquarters June 8 in Midtown Detroit.
Deandre Merkie Simmons, 42, is accused of being drunk when he drove his pickup truck on the wrong side of the street and ran into three people as they were crossing West Canfield Avenue.
READ: Witnesses say driver appeared to intentionally hit 4 people outside Shinola store in Midtown
A 73-year-old man South Lyon man died after being hit. A 65-year-old Milford man and a 65-year-old Milford woman were injured in the crash.
Simmons is charged with driving with a suspended license causing death, reckless driving causing death, operating under the influence causing death, driving with a suspended license causing serious injury, reckless driving causing serious impairment and operating while intoxicated causing serious injury.
He was bound over on four of the six charges.
Preliminary hearing held, Simmons bound over
The first person to take the stand was one of the victims struck in the crash. He described the incident which occurred after he and his fiancée had finished lunch.
“I looked up and a blue truck came around on the other side of the street around quickly, probably 35 or 40 miles per hour, headed across the center line towards me and I thought it would veer away but it didn’t and hit me first,” the victim said.
A Detroit officer testified about the scene of the crash and the preliminary interviews with Simmons and the passenger.
He said Simmons told officers he had taken ecstasy after the crash and that he had been drinking the night prior to the crash.
Officer Steven Heck took the stand to discuss video surveillance of the crash that was obtained by nearby businesses.
Watch the surveillance videos below:
An officer with the Detroit Police Department’s Homicide Unit was the last person to take the stand and discuss the interview with Simmons.
The officer said Simmons gave a written statement admitting to taking “a couple of ecstasy pills” earlier in the day.
Simmons told police he felt okay to drive.
Watch the officer read the full confession below:
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