Witnesses told police that before the accident, Parks was driving recklessly, to the point where drivers had to pull off to the side of the road to avoid being hit.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The driver who allegedly caused a deadly crash had been drinking, and police found empty liquor bottles in his car, court documents show.
Just after 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, several officers went to the intersection of Knapp Street NE & E Beltline Avenue NE on the report of a serious accident. When they got there, they saw a woman dead, lying in the median. She has been identified as 54-year-old Clarissa Duran from New Mexico. Family notifications have been made.
The person driving the car who hit Duran was 20-year-old Brian Parks, police say.
Witnesses told police that before the accident, Parks was driving recklessly, to the point where drivers had to pull off to the side of the road to avoid being hit, court documents say.
Damage to the cars shows that Parks had rear-ended Duran, which caused her to lose control, roll over and eject her, ultimately killing her.
The documents say that a Preliminary Breath Test showed Parks to have a 0.199 blood alcohol content, and Standardized Field Sobriety Tests indicated that he was drunk.
Authorities said that when they arrived at the scene, Parks was unaware of his location and was very combative with officers. Police found a large, empty bottle of vodka on Parks' dashboard, and vodka splashed all over the inside of his car. Another empty alcohol bottle was found under the seat.
Parks was arrested on probable cause, and his blood was taken, but results are still pending. He has been charged with Operating While Intoxicated Causing Death and Reckless Driving Causing Death. He was arraigned Monday morning in the 61st District Court.
