Crash involving suspected drunken driver leaves 1 dead in Roseville

ROSEVILLE — One person died in a two-vehicle crash at approximately 9:30 p.m. April 9 on southbound Groesbeck Highway, just south of Martin Road, that Roseville police suspect involved a drunken driver.

According to a press release from the Roseville Police Department, when officers arrived, they discovered that three individuals had been injured and immediately provided aid.

A preliminary investigation indicated that a Roseville man was traveling southbound on Groesbeck Highway at a high rate of speed when his vehicle struck another that was driven by an 85-year-old Oakland County woman, according to the press release.

The woman, identified as Eleanor Johnson, was pronounced deceased at the scene, police said. 

The driver, as well as a female passenger in his vehicle, were both transported to a local hospital for treatment. At press time, the passenger was reported to be in serious condition, while the driver had minor injuries, police said.

The driver was in the custody of the Roseville Police Department as of April 10. Alcohol is believed to have been a contributing factor in the crash, the press release states.

The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office has charged Travis Turner, 26, of Roseville, with operating while intoxicated causing death, a 15-year felony, and possession of a firearm while under the influence, a 93-day misdemeanor. According to a press release, Turner’s blood alcohol content was above the legal limit at the time of the crash.

Turner was arraigned April 10 before Judge Kathleen Tocco in the 39th District Court. Bond was set at $100,000 cash or surety, with conditions that Turner wear both a GPS tether and an alcohol monitoring device if released.

Turner is scheduled to appear for a probable cause conference at 8:30 a.m. April 22 and a preliminary exam at 8:30 a.m. April 29, both in front of Tocco.

“Every time someone drinks and gets behind the wheel, they are making a conscious choice to put lives at risk,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said in a statement.

Turner’s attorney, Robert Burton-Harris, did not return a request for comment by press time.