This week, a man with Oklahoma plates and a Nevada driver’s license was sentenced for a hit-and-run crash in Wexford County.
Sept. 9, 2024, around 11:30 a.m., Wexford County Central Dispatch told law enforcement to look out for a black car driving recklessly on north US-131.
Just before noon, Central Dispatch got a call reporting a crash on M-55 in Cherry Grove Township near The Pines Sports Bar. The caller said an SUV was hit by a black car that drove away. The SUV driver was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Witnesses directed a responding trooper to a disabled black Mercedes in the Cadillac Inn parking lot, just east of the crash scene. They said a man left the car and took off walking east.
Troopers and local officers searched the area but were unable to find the Mercedes driver. The Oklahoma registration belonged to 45-year-old Donald James Burke.
A few hours later 3:45 p.m., a witness who saw the crash spotted the driver walking on M-115 near Burger King. Officers arrived and identified the man by his Nevada driver’s license as Burke.
On Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, Burke was sentenced to 3-5 years in prison for OWI Causing Serious Injury, along with one year in jail for Failing to Stop – Injury Crash, and 90 days for Failing to Stop - Property Damage Crash.
