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Impaired driver runs over motorcyclist, flees scene
Published 2:22pm Friday, August 3, 2012A Dowagiac woman who allegedly fled the scene after running over a motorcycle and its driver with her sport utility vehicle was arraigned in Cass County District Court Friday.
Kathy Lynn Morse, 41, is charged with five felonies, including fleeing the scene of an accident resulting in serious impairment or death, which carries a penalty of five years.
During arraignment, Assistant Prosecutor Tiffiny Vohwinkle said Morse drove her Ford Explorer head-on into a motorcycle driven by Zachary Cox, 21, of Dowagiac. This occurred at just before 11 p.m. Wednesday at Michigan Highway 51 and M-152. According to witnesses, Morse continued driving with the motorcycle stuck under her car, dragging it into a parking lot.
Morse allegedly opened the door, yelled for someone to call 911 and drove off, the court heard.
Vohwinkle told the court the victim received significant pelvic damage, a broken femur and internal injuries.
Police later located Morse, who admitted to taking pills that day and was driving on a suspended license. She has two prior drunken driving convictions.
Morse was charged with operating while intoxicated causing serious injury, a five-year felony; operating on suspended license causing serious injury, a five-year felony; operating while intoxicated as a third offense; reckless driving causing serious impairment of a body function, a five-year felony; and failure to stop at the scene of accident resulting in serious impairment or death, a five-year felony.
She is being held at the Cass County Jail on $50,000 bond. Her next court date is Aug. 15.
I know both the driver and the victim. I certainly hope the driver sees some significant time behind bars as she has had 2 previous convictions for DUI. Nothing excuses the fact that she fled leaving this young man seriously injured because she was more concerned about not getting caught than the fact that she nearly cost this young man his life!!! Such blatent disregard for human life and the law is completely inexcusable. She deserves the MAXIMUM sentance possible as this was not simply an accident. She is a menace to all drivers on the road and is obviously a very selfish person.