A Jackson man was sentenced to 30-50 years in state prison after he was convicted of killing a man in a wrong-way, head-on crash while fleeing police in 2023.
Stephano Ramon Nabors, 42, was sentenced Oct. 9 by Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Faunce. A jury convicted him Aug. 28 of second-degree murder and four other charges after a three-day trial, according to online court records.
The records indicate Nabors also was convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death, reckless driving causing death, driving while license suspended causing death and fleeing and eluding police.
Nabors was accused of driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-696 on May 5, 2023. He collided with a vehicle near Couzens Road, causing the vehicle to roll over. When Michigan State Police entered I-696 near Groesbeck Avenue to investigate, Nabors almost hit a patrol car head-on, the prosecutor’s office said in an Oct. 10 news release.
Nabors continued to flee, with officers following him eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-696. Nabors then crashed head-on with a vehicle near Gratiot Avenue, killing the driver, Steven VanNorstrand, 63, of Harper Woods, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Nabors was driving a Jeep Liberty, hitting the victim’s Chevy SUV head-on, state police previously said.
At sentencing, Nabors received credit for 888 days — or more than two years — in the county jail, and he owes more than $16,000 in restitution to the victim’s family, according to court records.
Messages were left for Nabors’ attorney, who could not be immediately reached for comment Oct. 10.
Prosecutor Peter Lucido said in the release that he hopes the sentence provides some measure of accountability and closure for the victim’s family. He said the conviction “sends a clear message: those who endanger our community by running from police and causing deadly consequences will be held fully responsible.”
He has been calling on Michigan lawmakers to support bipartisan legislation to address the growing concern of drivers who refuse to stop for law enforcement.
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X: @challreporter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Man gets 30-50 years in prison in fatal wrong-way, head-on crash while fleeing police
Reporting by Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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