Man charged in Livingston County crash which killed 5 bound over for trial on all counts

Matthew Carrier, 22, faces charges including second-degree murder

Matthew Carrier was arraigned July 12, 2017 on charges in connection to a deadly crash in Livingston County. (WDIV)

OCEOLA TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A 22-year-old Fenton man has been bound over for trial on all counts including second-degree murder in connection to a crash which killed five people on M-59 in May.

Matthew Carrier faces 19 counts including second-degree murder, operating while intoxicated and driving with a suspended license. He was bound over on all charges during a preliminary hearing on Thursday. 

ORIGINAL REPORT: Five people killed in crash in Oceola Township

The crash happened May 9 on M-59 at Argentine Road in Oceola Township. Five people were killed and three were critically injured.

What happened

Michigan State Police said one of the vehicles was traveling at a very high rate of speed southbound on Argentine Road and blew through a stop sign at M-59. That vehicle struck a car which was traveling eastbound on M-59. 

One of the vehicles caught fire, and the other vehicle rolled at least one time. 

"Emergency responders were on the scene pretty quick. It was pretty chaotic for the first officers who were on the scene,” said State Police Lt. Mario Gonzales. "We don’t deal with this amount of fatalities on a regular basis. I’ve been doing this job for 27 years and these have occurred many times unfortunately and they all affect us. When we become police officers, they don’t take away our feelings."

Details emerge about Carrier

Details emerged about the man behind the wheel of a car police said caused a crash which killed five people in Livingston County at his arraignment. 

According to the prosecutors, the deadly crash could have been prevented. Carrier's history shows he has had a problem with alcohol. It took the judge 15 minutes to read all 19 charges against Carrier at his arraignment. 

Carrier broke down in tears several times as the judge read the names of the people who died at the scene of the fiery crash.

"The proof of the defendant's guilt is evident in this case," said prosecuting attorney William Vailliencourt. 

Vailliencourt told the judge it was more than just Carrier's blood alcohol level that was well over the legal limit. 

"He was driving at a speed approaching 100 miles per hour. Before this incident he was questioned on whether he was too drunk to drive. He was told not to drive, but he acknowledged driving and continued to do so," said the prosecutor. "In fact, the defendant later told police, "That was my choice before I got in the car."

Pattern of bad decisions with alcohol

The judge concluded at the arraignment there is a pattern of bad decisions by Carrier when it comes to alcohol. His license was suspended due to prior alcohol convictions. He was cited twice as a minor in possession of alcohol and one other time for driving while impaired. All of those convictions came before he was 21 years old.

That was enough for the judge to deny bond.  

Victims identified

Investigators from the Michigan State Police identified all eight people involved in the crash.

Police said five people were pronounced dead at the scene and three others were taken to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. They are in critical condition.

READDeadly Livingston County crash victim identified as honored Oakland County probation agent

Justin Andrew-Humberto Henderson, 20, of Fenton, was a front passenger in the car heading south on Argentine Road, police said. He and rear passenger, Preston Taylor Wetzel, 24, of Fenton, were killed in the crash.

Matthew Jordan Carrier, 22, of Fenton, was driving the car south on Argentine Road. He and rear driver-side passenger Kyle Eugene Lixie, 23, was in critical condition. Carrier was pulled from the car after the crash, and Lixie was ejected from the car.

Passengers Candice Lynn Dunn, 35, of Oakland County, Linda K. Hurley, 69, of Macomb County, and Jerome Joseph Tortomasi, 73, of Macomb County, were killed in the crash. They were all in the vehicle on M-59. Dunn was killed on her way home from winning the Michigan Department of Corrections 2017 Parole-Probation Agent of the Year award. Dunn's mother and her mother's boyfriend also were killed. Two of Carrier's friends were killed in his car.

The driver of the vehicle on M-59, Albert Rudolph Boswell, 39, of Oakland County, was in critical condition.

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