Nightside Report Feb. 4, 2021: Suspected drunk driver awaits charges in crash that killed 12-year-old girl, Michigan youth contact sports can resume on Feb. 8

Here are tonight’s top stories

Awaiting charges in Taylor crash that killed 12-year-old girl

Suspected drunk driver awaits charges in Taylor crash that killed 12-year-old girl

DETROIT – A Metro Detroit family is grieving while awaiting charges against a suspected drunk driver who crashed into another vehicle this week, killing a 12-year-old girl.

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On Wednesday, Feb. 3, 12-year-old Phoebe Elliot was a passenger in her aunt’s vehicle, traveling westbound on Northline Road. Officials say their vehicle was slowly crossing Telegraph Road when a Ford Escape traveling southbound on Telegraph Road ran a red light and crashed into their vehicle.

Denetra Vaughn says the sound of the crash is a sound she’ll never forget.

“I thought somebody hit the building, but after that I just started hearing sirens coming from all over the place, and they were there for about two to three hours,” Vaughn said.

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The latest: Michigan coronavirus cases up to 565,251; Death toll now at 14,778

Metro Detroit weather: 2-3 inches of snow by Friday morning, then bitter cold

Snow, more snow and bitter cold are what’s coming at you over the next several days.

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4 Fast Facts

  • Larry Smith was convicted of a murder in Detroit back in 1994, but he never gave up fighting his charges -- especially since no one testified that they actually saw him at the scene of the crime. Click here to read more.
  • The economic hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many school and community programs to make budget cuts. Click here to read more.
  • Doctors at Henry Ford said that an iPhone 12 can pose dangers to people with an implanted defibrillators or pacemakers. Click here to read more.
  • The coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll on nearly every industry, and one of the hardest-hit has been in-person fitness centers. Click here to read more.

Be Informed

Michigan youth contact sports can resume Monday -- here are all the rules, specifics and details

Michigan youth contact sports will be allowed to resume practices and games starting on Monday (Feb. 8), with certain COVID-19 safety rules in place, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said.

“Today, MDHHS is issuing an epidemic order to allow in-person practice and competitions for sports leagues, starting on Monday, Feb. 8,” Whitmer said. “I know these past months have been tough on all of us, and I know they’ve been really hard on student-athletes who’ve been missing a sense of connection and belonging, as well as many other attributes that playing sports provides.”

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Michigan house ties billions in COVID aid to giving power to counties

The return of high school sports announced Thursday is a part of a much larger political battle in Lansing.

The GOP Legislature is tying more than $3 billion in COVID relief to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer changing her coronavirus response considerably.

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Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021 --


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About the Author:

DeJanay Booth joined WDIV as a web producer in July 2020. She previously worked as a news reporter in New Mexico before moving back to Michigan.