Judge will OK a 1-year term in fatal crash if victim’s family agrees
A man pleaded no contest to a felony in a fatal drunken-driving incident four years ago after the judge reverted to a prior deal for a one-year term in the Macomb County Jail.
Aaron Seagraves, 31, of Troy, entered the plea to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol causing death Friday in a remote hearing shown over Zoom in front of Judge James Biernat Jr. of Macomb County Circuit Court. The offense is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Seagraves was the driver of a Ford F-150 in March 2017 that collided headon with a vehicle in Sterling Heights that was carrying passenger Mathew Kesto, 25, of Warren, who was killed.
The case has been drawn out as this is the second time Seagraves entered a plea.
He pleaded to the same charge in October 2019 but withdrew it at the sentencing after Biernat said he could not stick to the deal with Seagraves for a oneyear term after listening to emotional statements from Kesto’s four sisters. The sentencing guideline range is 3-½ years to seven years in prison.
The case was further delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Multiple trial dates, including one for last January, were adjourned because jury trials were prohibited for nearly a year.
Meanwhile, Assistant Macomb Prosecutor Sian Hengeveld informed Biernat Kesto’s family agrees with the one-year term.
Biernat told Hangeveld to confirm that again with the family, and if they agree, he will go along with the one-year term, with no credit for any time served. But if they don’t, he will indicate a longer sentence, and Seagraves could withdraw his plea and force a trial.
Attorneys said Seagraves could present a strong defense due to evidence that Kesto may have grabbed the steering wheel from the 24-year-old unnamed driver and forced the pickup truck into the Chrysler Pacifica at 12:45 a.m. March 14, 2017, on Ryan Road north of Metropolitan Parkway.
Seagraves’ blood-alcohol content was twice the legal limit of 0.08%.
Kesto and the drive both had a controlled substance in their systems.
The sentencing is scheduled for April 13.