EAGLE TWP., Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Late on Friday, August 11, 2023, law enforcement responded to a tragic incident on West Grand River Highway in Clinton County, west of South Hinman Road. Upon arrival, they found 30-year-old Tyler Ray Olson, a resident of Eagle Township, lying on the road after a fatal collision while riding an electric scooter. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to police, the victim was riding the scooter with illuminated lights and wearing a reflective traffic vest while on the westbound shoulder when the collision occurred.

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In the wake of his passing, Olson’s family described him as a cherished member of the community, known for his kindness and love for family, anime, video games, and spending time with loved ones.

What happened?

At the time of the incident, in a news release from the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, they said, “Through witness statements and preliminary investigation, a westbound vehicle struck a westbound electric scooter and then fled the scene continuing westbound.”

Authorities managed to retrieve vehicle components at the location and stated they were searching for a 2007 Ford Edge of unspecified color.

Police find suspect.

The police, according to the Lansing State Journal (LSJ), were able to find the driver with the help of security video from a McDonald’s which showed the suspect’s car passing through the drive-through lane preceding the crash. After running the license plate, the vehicle was traced to an address for 39- year-old Jose Molina-Fuentes where they found a vehicle with damage consistent with evidence found at the crash site.

The driver, Molina-Fuentes, who was reportedly living in Portland at the time of the incident, was arrested and taken into custody on Saturday, August 12th.

During a hearing, Clinton County Undersheriff Mike Gute testified that Molina-Fuentes admitted to hitting “what he believed to be either a deer or perhaps some debris on the road, and then proceeded back to his residence.”

Police find that defendant has no license.

Undersheriff Mike Gute also testified that Molina-Fuentes lacked a driver’s license from Michigan or any other state in the country. Although Molina-Fuentes claimed to possess a driver’s license in Mexico, law enforcement could not verify this on the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN). The undersheriff stated during the hearing that there was no record of Molina-Fuentes having any form of driver’s license.

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According to the defendant’s attorney, Michael Lynn Oakes, the vehicle of Molina-Fuentes never left its lane. Oakes said in an email to LSJ, “This is a very unfortunate situation. From the investigation it appears that Mr. Olson’s scooter struck the lip of the roadway which caused him to lose control of his scooter and enter into the roadway in front of a vehicle being driven by Mr. Molina-Fuentes.”

Defendant pleads guilty last week in agreement that caps jail time at seven months.

According to online court files, Jose Molina-Fuentes was in 29th Circuit Court in Clinton County on Friday morning, April 12th and plead guilty to the charge of “Failure to Stop at Scene of Accident Resulting in Serious Impairment or Death.”

Molina-Fuentes had an interpreter in court with him on Friday and plead guilty in front of Judge Shannon Schlegel. His sentencing will be on May 28th at 11 am. In the plea information provided online, it notes that there is a Killebrew agreement that jail time is not to exceed seven months at the time of sentencing.

A Killebrew Agreement constitutes an understanding reached between the prosecutor and the defense attorney regarding a predetermined sentence for a felony or misdemeanor. This plea arrangement is then submitted to the presiding judge for consideration during sentencing. Should the judge opt not to adhere to the terms outlined in the Killebrew Agreement, the defendant retains the option to retract their plea and proceed to trial or engage in renegotiations for a fresh agreement.

What the prosecutor has to say.

Michigan News Source reached out to Clinton County Prosecuting Attorney Tony Spagnuolo about the case and he immediately expressed his condolences for the family of the victim, saying, “I am very sorry for the family’s loss. This has been a difficult case for all of us.”

He explained that after the original charge, which was “Failure to Stop at Scene of Accident When at Fault Resulting in Death,” there was a preliminary examination. The amended charge that the defendant plead to came about because it had to comport with the “facts that were presented at the preliminary examination” including witness statements in front of the district court judge.

Spagnuolo also explained that through the Killebrew agreement there is a sentence cap of seven months. It’ll be up to the judge to determine whether she accepts the agreement or not. The guidelines calculated for sentencing are 0 months to 14 months according to Spagnuolo. He added, “He (Molina-Fuentes) gets credit against his sentence for the time that he’s in jail for when he did not post bond.” The defendant has been in jail since August of last year.

When Michigan News Source reached out to Sheriff Sean Dush of Clinton County on Thursday, he had said about Molina-Fuentes, “He is still in our facility and he has a hold from ICE.”

What the defendant’s attorney has to say.

In an email to Michigan News Source, Oakes says that his client has been in the country on a work visa since 2015. He said, “It is my understanding that the hold is placed automatically because he is not a U.S. Citizen and some criminal convictions could lead to automatic deportation. In consulting

with an immigration attorney on this charge specifically we do not anticipate any issues with his work visa.”

Defendant will get credit for amount of time spent in jail.

Oakes said about the Killebrew agreement, “He (Molina-Fuentes) will get credit for the time he has already served. Considering as of today he has served 8 months and 2 days and the agreement is for no more than 7 months, his bond would have been amended to allow him to leave the jail today. However, the judge stated that since he is not a U.S. Citizen and has been in the country on a work visa since 2015 she does not feel comfortable releasing him from jail.”

Oakes explained about the incident, “Molina-Fuentes and the neighbors in the area thought he hit a deer. He would have stopped and called the police if he knew it was a person that entered the road and collided with his vehicle. Mr. Molina-Fuentes is sad that this happened and wishes he would have pulled over to investigate the situation versus continuing on to work the night. The plea was a fair resolution for the act committed. This is Mr. Molina-Fuentes first time ever being arrested for violating the law and it is unfortunate that he is having to continue to sit in jail longer than the 7-month sentencing cap agreement because he is not a U.S. Citizen.”