Prosecutor to review hit-and-run case, victim suffered multiple injuries

A case naming a White Lake Township woman in connection with a Jan. 28 hit-and-run in Milford Township that injured a 75-year-old has been sent to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office for review and possible issuance of charges.

Det. Chris Lipari of the Milford Police Department said the driver, age 24, had reportedly glanced away from the roadway to reposition items on her front seat when she struck the female victim on Duck Lake Road — but didn’t realize she had hit someone at the time. Rather, she reportedly thought she had run into a garbage can, he said, noting that it was dark at the time.

The driver reportedly pulled off the road a short distance away and checked her vehicle, a Jeep Wrangler, and saw no indication that she had struck a person, Lipari said.

The victim had crossed the road to her mailbox and was struck as she headed back to her home, he said.

The driver was identified in response to a Facebook post from the Milford Police Department following the hit-and-run. Lipari said he received numerous tips and then a phone call from the driver’s attorney. A police interview in the attorney’s office followed, Lipari said.

There’s no indication the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash, he added.

The victim suffered two broken bones and internal bleeding, and spent some time hospitalized. Lipari said it’s believed she’s still recovering at a rehabilitation facility.

A witness reported no carelessness or recklessness on the part of the driver, Lipari said, adding that several people had come to the victim’s aid in the roadway.

The crash happened shortly before 6:30 p.m. between Commerce and Cooley Lake roads, where the unposted speed limit is 55 miles per hour.