Man Charged After Attempt to Help Stranded Motorist Turned Fatal

A 25-year-old Mount Clemens man has been charged with multiple crimes after his attempt to rescue a stranded motorist accidentally killed her last spring in Chesterfield Township.

Steven Anthony Smith was arraigned last week with two counts operating while intoxicated, causing death. The first count is for being on controlled prescriptions and the second is for marijuana use at the time he got behind the wheel, township Detective Sgt. Deron Myers said Tuesday.

Smith has also been charged with one count of operating while license suspended, causing death. The felony charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years upon conviction. In addition, he faces a misdemeanor of possession of marijuana, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison, Myers said.

The charges stem from an accident in April when Smith went to help a stranded motorist, Debra Jo Gonzalez, 36, of Macomb Township, after her car fell into a ditch at Sugarbush and Cotton.

The two had left a party separately when Smith came to her aid. But, during what police called a , his attempt to tow out her Saturn station wagon with his Ford Explorer turned deadly. The  Explorer slid down the ditch, pinning Gonzalez between the two vehicles.

Police and fire units were able to separate the vehicles to free Gonzalez, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The charges were sought following toxicology results on Smith.

He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. Oct. 12 at in New Baltimore. A $10,000 personal bond was set at his Sept. 20 arraignment in the court.