WALKER, Mich. — Nearly a year after a road rage attack put her in a coma, Samantha Sutherlin continues to struggle with the aftermath, which includes memory loss, a limp, and no sense of taste or smell.
“February 13 is a day Samantha doesn’t remember at all and yet it is a day we will never forget,’’ her mother, Shellie Sutherlin said. “The day that has changed our lives forever.’’
Samantha Sutherlin suffered a traumatic brain injury when she was body-slammed to the ground in a coffee shop parking lot.
“Samantha fought hard for her life,’’ Shellie Sutherlin said. “She fought hard to come back.’’
Her assailant contends Sutherlin was the aggressor in a road rage incident that began on U.S. 131 in Grand Rapids. It continued on I-96, eventually coming to a head after both vehicles exited the freeway and pulled into a Starbucks parking lot in Walker.
“It’s a tragic case. I’m not sure there’s another word to use for it,’’ Kent County Circuit Court Judge Paul Denenfeld said.
Hours after the assault, police arrested 25-year-old Eric Anthony Alvarez, a military veteran with no criminal past.
He pleaded guilty to an assault charge that had him facing up to 10 years in prison. Because of his clean record, Denenfeld last week allowed Alvarez to leave jail with credit for time served. Sentencing guidelines did not call for prison.
“There’s not a lot that I can say that can truly express my remorse for this situation,’’ Alvarez said at his Dec. 30 sentencing.
The judge placed Alvarez on probation for five years and ordered that Alvarez pay more than $391,000 in restitution, most of it to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for medical bills.
“I don’t have a sense of whether Mr. Alvarez ever intended to inflict the severity of the injuries that were here,’’ Denenfeld said. “But the bottom line is his actions did, in fact, ruin a young person’s life. And I think he gets that. I hope he does.’’
Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said the case illustrates why it is best not to pull over to settle a dispute that involves aggressive driving.
“You don’t know who’s in the other car, you don’t know what that person in the other car is going through,’’ he said. You don’t know what they’re armed with or not armed with.’’
Two other Kent County road rage cases in recent years resulted in death.
In 2016, a 64-year-old man died from injuries suffered in a beating that stemmed from road rage in southern Kent County. The assailant, 18-year-old Christian Hillman, was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 22½ to 100 years in prison.
In 2017, a shooting left one man dead and his brother wounded in a road rage incident on M-37 near Sparta. A review indicated the gunman was not the aggressor and was acting in self-defense when he shot the brothers. No charges were filed.
Becker said it is best to avoid confrontation.
“There’s no reason to risk your life and your safety to confront somebody about some bad driving,’’ he said.
Although Alvarez was released from jail on Dec. 30, prison remains an option should he violate conditions of probation.
And he will always have the restitution order hanging over his head.
“There are continuing bills that have to be paid,’’ Denenfeld said. “I’m leaving restitution open for any kind of additional bills that may be submitted down the road.’’
Since suffering the brain injury, Samantha Sutherlin has undergone extensive therapy, including speech and occupational therapy, her mother said.
“She has lost her sense of smell and taste permanently,’’ Shellie Sutherlin said. “She walks with a limp due to loss of feeling in her left foot. And has noticeable mental impairments.’’
Samantha is now living with her parents, as are her two children, ages 2 and 4, Shellie Sutherlin said.
“We don’t know if she’ll ever be able to care for, or support her children, by herself,’’ Shellie Sutherlin told the judge. “Mr. Alvarez took a human being and destroyed the person that they were for the past 23 years.’’
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.