MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. (WWJ) — A 31-year-old Lapeer man is facing a list of felony charges after a deadly head-on crash on Thanksgiving Day left his 5-year-old daughter dead and two others seriously injured.
Austin Thorpe was arraigned Wednesday before Judge Jennifer A. Andary in Romeo's 42-1 District Court. He faces multiple felonies, including operating while intoxicated causing death and third-degree child abuse.
Prosecutors allege Thorpe was driving a 2011 Chevrolet Impala southbound on M-53 (Van Dyke Freeway) in Bruce Township on November 27, 2025. He allegedly crossed the center turn lane and collided head-on with a northbound vehicle driven by an 18-year-old woman.
Investigators say Thorpe failed to properly secure his two children in the vehicle. Michigan State Police previously noted there was only one car seat in the car, and neither child was properly buckled.
The crash killed Thorpe's 5-year-old daughter, identified by family as Naevi, a student at Violet Elementary School in St. Clair Shores. Thorpe's 2-year-old son, Valon, and the 18-year-old driver of the other vehicle were both hospitalized with serious injuries.
"This was a completely preventable tragedy," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said in a statement. "The allegations are that the defendant was impaired, failed to properly secure two young children, and then caused a crash that left one child dead, another seriously injured, and an innocent driver badly hurt."
Thorpe's bond was set at $500,000 cash or surety, with no 10-percent option. If released, he is ordered to wear an alcohol-monitoring tether, abstain from drugs and alcohol, and surrender his driving privileges. He was also ordered to have absolutely no contact with the victims or their families.
Following the crash, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to support the children's mother, Morgan, raising funds for medical bills and living costs. Family members described Naevi as a girl with a "larger than life" personality who "adored her baby brother more than anything."
Thorpe remains in custody and is scheduled to return to court for a probable cause conference on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.
