9/18/14 - A Fowlerville manâs sentence for a fatal hit and run incident in 2011 has been upheld by the Michigan Court of Appeals. Stephen Allen Lacosse II was sentenced to serve between six years and four months and 20 years in prison for his guilty pleas to two counts of failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in serious impairment or death. The punishment handed down by Circuit Court Judge Michael Hatty exceeded state guidelines, which called for up to five years in prison. Lacosse argued that his pre-sentencing report and scoring under sentencing guidelines was inaccurate because it stated his parents had helped cover up his involvement, which he denies. He also said the report should have included information that the victimâs contributed to the accident by wearing dark clothing as they walked at night along an unlit road. The appeal panel this week disagreed and upheld the sentence. 47 year old Jeffrey Westphal of Howell was killed after being hit by a pickup truck as he and Lisa Vail of Hartland walked along Center Road in Deerfield Township in the early morning hours of October 30th, 2011. Vail survived, but suffered a concussion and fractured vertebrae. Police originally found Lacosseâs pickup truck abandoned in an Oceola Township ditch, which then led them to a Fowlerville woman who said she was the driver. Further investigation determined Lacosse was actually behind the wheel and the woman, who was his fiancé, lied because he was on parole and had been drinking. (JK)
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