Man charged with second-degree murder in fatal traffic crash in Pittsfield Township

By Lee Higgins Crime and courts reporter

Posted on Fri, May 14, 2010 : 5:03 p.m.

An East Lansing man was arrested today and charged with second-degree murder in the death of an Algonac man during a traffic crash in March on US-23 in Pittsfield Township, Michigan State Police said.

Michael Ronald Kelly, 21, also is charged with operating while intoxicated causing death, manslaughter with a motor vehicle and operating with the presence of a controlled substance.

Kelly was arraigned today at the Washtenaw County Jail, where he is being held without bail, state police Sgt. Chris Pascoe said. He is charged in the death of 25-year-old Brandon Robert Rapp.

“It wasn’t a mere accident,” Pascoe said. “There was intentional negligence on behalf of the suspect.”

Pascoe would not discuss details. He said Kelly was under the influence of an illegal drug, but declined to identify the drug.

Kelly did not know Rapp or the other driver he struck, Pascoe said.

Kelly was traveling south on the highway near Michigan Avenue in a Dodge Durango that crossed the median shortly after 4 p.m. into northbound traffic, police said.

The Durango struck the rear driver’s side of a pickup truck, then hit a Chrysler Le Baron almost head-on, causing it to flip several times, police said. Rapp, who was driving the Le Baron and was wearing a seat belt, died at the scene.

The driver of the pickup truck was not injured. Kelly was taken to a hospital.

Washtenaw County Chief Deputy Assistant Prosecutor Steve Hiller could not be reached for comment this afternoon.