Crime & Safety
Hartland Woman Sentenced to Probation in Car-Pedestrian Mishap
The driver avoids jail time in an accident that injures a man walking along a rural road in Hartland Township.
HOWELL — Christine Elizabeth Gershon, 44, of Hartland, is now serving probation after being sentenced on Aug. 30 by 53rd District Court Judge Carol Sue Reader, according to court records.
Reader placed her on one year of probation, assessed court costs and fines and ordered her to pay $300 in restitution.
In the May 11 crash, police say Gershon, driving a '97 Honda Civic, sideswiped 64-year old Donald Powell of Hartland, who was walking along the side of Maxfield Road near Odette Drive. The passenger side mirror struck Powell, who was proceeding north.
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The impact of the collision threw Powell onto the windshield of the car, and he was transported to an area hospital for treatment. Gershon and her passenger were not injured.
Gershon could have been sentenced to a maximum of 93 days in jail for the misdemeanor conviction.
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She had to a "moving violation causing serious impairment of a person’s body function" and "unlawful use of a license plate." A separate charge of operating an unregistered vehicle was dropped as part of the agreement.
In exchange for the no contest plea, a third count against Gershon of operating an unregistered vehicle was dropped.
A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such by the court for sentencing purposes.
