Man in crash injuring Grand Rapids police officer had previous intoxicated-driving convictions
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A man accused of drunken driving in a head-on crash with a Grand Rapids patrol car had two previous convictions for driving while intoxicated, a judge said.
Jack Allen Case, 39, of the Grand Rapids area, was arraigned Thursday, June 1, in Grand Rapids District Court on charges of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury, a five-year felony, and third-offense operating while intoxicated, punishable by at least 30 days, and up to five years, in prison.
Judge Nicholas Ayoub set bond at $3,000. Case appeared via video link from Kent County Correctional Facility.
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Case, who was arrested Wednesday, will have to wear a monitoring device for alcohol if he posts bond.
The officer in the crash is recovering at home and is expected to be off for several months before he’s cleared to return to duty, police said.
The crash happened around 9:30 p.m. May 11 on Eastern Avenue SE. Case was driving a Toyota Camry, with lights off, south on Eastern when his car crossed the center line and crashed into the officer’s northbound patrol car, police said.
Both drivers were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
The judge said Case appears to have substance-abuse issues. He has to have the alcohol-monitoring device installed before he leaves jail.
Case, who owns a house, had a full-time job while attending Grand Rapids Community College. He is on medical leave while recovering from his injuries, he told the judge.
He requested a court-appointed attorney.
Case cannot use any intoxicants while on bond and has to undergo an assessment for substance abuse, the judge said.
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