(WWJ) A Warren man who hit and killed a 14-year-old missing autistic boy has taken a plea deal.
The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office said 46-year old Justin Spangle pled no contest Tuesday to charges of failing to stop at the scene of an accident, tampering with evidence and operating a vehicle on a suspended license causing death.
The crash happened early in the morning of August 18, 2023, in Roseville, near the Warren border.
Police said Spangle was driving on the Groesbeck Highway entrance ramp to I-696 when he hit the teen, who was on foot.
The boy had been reported missing by his mother just hours before the crash
According to investigators, Spangle left the scene, and then replaced his vehicle's cracked windshield of his vehicle shortly after the crash.
“This is a profoundly tragic case in which the defendant’s allegedly foolish and unlawful conduct directly caused the death of a child. My office will continue to pursue justice on behalf of the victim and his family, who will carry the weight of this loss for the rest of their lives,” said Prosecutor Pete Lucido, in a statement.
The plea agreement calls for Spangle to face three to six years in prison when he's sentenced on June 23.
