Taylor M. Black, a resident of Bangor Township, apparently stole his mother’s car, crashed it into another vehicle and then fled the scene on foot. He is facing both felony and misdemeanor charges, which may mean several years behind bars if he is convicted.
According to police, the incident took place on July 6th in Bay City. Black’s mother left for work, and at the time of her departure from home, there was a second car parked in the driveway. It was an uninsured Cavalier that she owned. And her unlicensed son did not have permission to use it.
But just before 5 pm, police were called to the scene of an accident on North Henry Street. A man named Luke Jankowski was present. He told responding officers that he had stopped for a passing train when someone had crashed into the back of his car.
Both drivers pulled their vehicles into a nearby parking lot in order to assess the damage without blocking traffic. Black, who had been driving the cavalier, said that he wasn’t hurt, although his car had sustained some very serious front end damage. He told Jankowski that he intended to walk to his uncle’s home which was close by, and leave the car in the parking lot.
Jankowski called police, reported the accident and then waited with the vehicles for responding officers to arrive. The officers arrived and searched the cavalier. They found Black’s identification inside the vehicle. Further investigation revealed that Black did not have a valid driver’s license, and was wanted on a violation of probation warrant for an earlier drug charge.
Warrant was then issued and Black was arrested
A warrant was then issued and Black was arrested and arraigned in late August on charges of unlawfully driving away a motor vehicle, driving while license suspended, denied, or revoked, and failure to report a traffic accident.
Under Michigan law, unlawfully driving away a motor vehicle is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Driving on a suspended license, and failing to report a traffic accident are both misdemeanors.
At his arraignment, Bay County District Judge Timothy J. Kelly set Black’s conditional bond at $10,000 cash-surety. Should he elect to post bail he would be required to undergo three random urine screens on a weekly basis, along with daily Breathalyzer tests.