OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich — The prosecutor's office is accusing a West Olive man of driving drunk and causing a crash that killed one and seriously injured another.
Michael Jay Brown Jr., 31, was arraigned in 58th District Court Tuesday afternoon with second-degree murder, operating while intoxicated causing death and reckless driving causing death.
According to a police report, Brown Jr. was driving a Dodge Charger northbound on US 31 Monday evening when he's accused of rear-ending an SUV near Felch Street in Holland Township.
Eugene Filar, 77, of Valparaiso died from his injuries sustained in the crash, while his 76-year-old passenger was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries where she remains hospitalized in stable condition.
"Definitely a heartbreaking loss," Captain Jake Sparks of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office related via Zoom. "We're still working through that process with the families as well. They're dealing with that. That's why one of our main areas of focus continues to be on traffic safety... to try to get that under control but that's a real issue because it can lead to tragedies like this."
Northbound US-31 was closed for several hours for the investigation.
The judge denied bond.
Investigators with the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office said their investigation continued at the time of publication Tuesday.
Additional charges related to the passenger's injuries may be considered in the future.
RELATED: Man killed in Holland Twp. crash
RELATED VIDEO:
►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.