Bolstered by recently released autopsy results, prosecutors are pursuing a murder charge against a Detroit man whose passenger died in February while he fled from police in Van Buren County.
Twenty-four-year-old Jajuan M. Gabriel, of Detroit, faces charges of second-degree murder, fleeing and eluding police, driving with a suspended license causing death and reckless driving causing death for his role in a Feb. 15 wreck, authorities said.
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Prosecutors said Gabriel was behind the wheel after a high-speed chase culminated with a crash that killed Carmisha Slayton, 22, of Detroit. Autopsy reports released within the last few days confirm that Slayton died as a result of the crash.
He will need the services of a car accident lawyer to provide a defense for the felony charges.
Authorities began pursuing Gabriel on Feb. 15 near Bridgman in Berrien County. The pursuit continued into nearby Van Buren County, where Gabriel ultimately crashed his vehicle into a utility pole on a county road, investigators reported.
Slayton was transported from the scene of the single-vehicle wreck via helicopter. She later was pronounced dead at a trauma center in Kalamazoo, according to authorities.
Gabriel was taken into custody immediately following the Feb. 15 wreck. He remains held at the Berrian County Jail, though it’s unclear what level of bond court officials have set.
Gabriel’s car accident lawyer will be called to defend him in a trial that is slated to begin in June. However, felony cases – especially those in which defendants could face life in prison upon conviction – tend to require multiple continuances.
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