News

Actions

At least 5 years in prison for man in snowplow hit-and-run

Posted at 3:50 PM, May 18, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-19 08:19:58-04

A 21-year-old snowplow driver has been sentenced to at least five years in prison for a fatal hit-and-run near Grand Rapids.

Austin Hill was remorseful in court Thursday, a month after pleading no contest to causing a fatal crash but failing to stop. Chelsea Crawford was hit in January while she walked on a road in Wyoming, a Grand Rapids suburb.

Crawford's mother, Christina Fender, told Hill that her daughter would want him to know that he's forgiven.

Hill, who has a criminal record, says he wasn't under the influence of drugs when he struck the 26-year-old Crawford. But he says he was extremely tired after plowing 120 driveways.

Defense attorney Craig Haehnel (HAY'-nuhl) says Hill didn't stop after hitting Crawford because he "was in a panic."