Background: News footage of Grady Suggs III at his arraignment in January (WJRT). Inset: Amanda Rogers (McGeehan Funeral Home).
A Michigan man who was “super drunk” when he crashed his truck into a tree and killed a mother of two children is likely headed to prison.
Grady Suggs III, aged 32, submitted a no-contest plea on Thursday for charges related to a crash that occurred on January 19, resulting in the death of Amanda Rogers, also 32. She was a passenger in his vehicle. According to reports from local news outlet MLive.com, Suggs crashed his truck into a tree and then fled the scene on foot. Rogers was left in the vehicle and was declared dead by responders upon their arrival.
Authorities managed to locate Suggs using a K-9 unit, but he escaped once more before eventually being apprehended. He was transported to a hospital for minor injuries and reportedly removed his IV to flee for a third time.
Suggs was taken into custody again on January 21 and detained with a $100,000 bond despite the judge declining the prosecutors’ request to deny bond due to concerns about Suggs being a flight risk.
Suggs finally pleaded to charges, which include operating a vehicle with a high alcohol content resulting in death, and not stopping at a personal injury accident resulting in death.
The criminal complaint available on MLive.com revealed that Suggs had a blood alcohol content of 0.213 at the time of the crash, which is nearly triple the legal limit of 0.08. Under Michigan law, having a BAC over 0.17 is classified as “super drunk,” entailing harsher consequences, such as a lengthier prison term and mandatory alcohol rehabilitation and treatment.
Rogers, who worked as a manager at a local group home, left behind two young children, her parents, and several siblings, including her twin sister.
Court records do not indicate a sentencing date for Suggs following his no-contest plea on Thursday.
