Fatal drunk driving crash heads to circuit court
The case against a 62-yearold Waterford man accused of driving drunk and causing a crash that killed a motorcyclist in August has been advanced to Oakland County Circuit Court.
At the conclusion of a preliminary exam held Friday, 51st District Judge Richard Kuhn ruled there was enough evidence to bind over the case charging Lawrence Casmier Wudyka, 62, for the death of Brandon James Calma of White Lake Township. Calma was 27 when he died Aug. 21 following the collision on Highland Road in Waterford Township.
Shortly before 7 p.m. that day, Wudyka left the El Patio Restaurant driveway in a Chevrolet Trailblazer and attempted to turn left on Highland Road when Calma’s motorcycle collided with his vehicle, police said. Wudyka’s blood alcohol content was reportedly .13 percent when measured soon after the crash.
During the preliminary exam, three Waterford police officers, including traffic crash investigator Sgt. Stanley Mathewson, were called to the stand by assistant prosecutor Qamar Enayah to describe their findings regarding the collision.
Mathewson said his investigation showed Calma was “braking pretty hard” about a half-second before the collision, when his motorcycle landed on its side and skidded about 30 feet, crashing into the driver’s side of the Trailblazer.
He said speed was not a factor in the collision. The speed limit is 50 mph where the crash occurred.
Mathewson also noted that Wudyka gave conflicting statements about the crash, claiming the motorcycle “came out of nowhere” and also claiming he saw the motorcycle but believed he had enough time to make the turn.
Officer Michael ScanlonPenla testified that the motorcycle’s back wheels were “stuck in the driver’s side door” of the Trailblazer when he arrived on the scene, and that an off-duty EMT from Springfield Township was performing CPR on Calma, who wasn’t breathing. Scanlon-Penla also testified that Wudyka gave conflicting statements about what had happened.
“(Wudyka said) he observed a motorcycle coming and thought he had enough time, and it came out of nowhere and hit him as he was crossing the westbound lanes,” Scanlon-Penla said.
Scanlon-Penla further testified that he administered field sobriety tests on Wudyka at the scene, which he failed. Wudyka’s blood alcohol content was measured at the Waterford Township police station, where he was booked prior to being transported to Oakland County Jail.
In cross-examining the witnesses, defense attorney G. Jack Burke suggested glare from the sun or other circumstances may have contributed to the crash. He called no witnesses.
Wudyka was subsequently released after posting a $10,000 cash/surety bond.
Calma’s obituary states that he was a 2012 graduate of Lakeland High School where he was a state qualifying wrestler. He worked as an aviation crew member at IFL Group and coached middle school wrestling. He’s described as “a true gentleman that wore his heart on his sleeve” and would do anything for the people he cared for without a second thought.
Wudyka, charged with operating while intoxicated causing death, faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Arraignment in Oakland County Circuit Court is scheduled for Dec. 16 before Judge Yasmine Poles.