(WWJ) A Detroit man has been charged with murder in the death of his 2-year-old son in a drag racing crash.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy says 29-year-old Michael Lavell Lipscomb, Jr. was racing another man on W. 8 Mile Road near Wyoming, after 2 a.m. on Sept. 4, with his three young children in the car.
Lipscomb and the other driver, identified as 20-year-old Jeffrey Roberts of Detroit, both ran red lights, according to investigators.
While speeding, Lipscomb crashed into another car, injuring the driver, then careened in a vacant building.
Lipscomb youngest son was killed, while his 4-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter, who were in the backseat, were hospitalized with critical injuries.
Lipscomb, who was also injured, has been charged with second degree murder, reckless driving causing death, three counts of second degree child abuse, and three counts of reckless driving causing serious impairment. The three counts of child abuse are for his three children in the backseat of his car, Worthy said, and the two counts of driving causing serious impairment are for his two children and the innocent driver he hit.
Lipscomb is still awaiting an arraignment on the charges.
"Do we really have to remind drivers that one should not drag race down a city street at deadly speeds – especially with unbelted children in the car? Seriously? But apparently, we do, because these are the alleged facts in this case. One child is dead and two others are seriously injured. Come on – we are better than this," said Worthy.
Roberts has also been charged with second degree murder, reckless driving causing death, three counts of reckless driving causing serious impairment. He was arraigned in 36th District Court, ordered held on a $100,000 cash/surety bond, and will be back in court for a Probable Cause Conference on Oct. 9.
