Benjamin Kable.Photo: GoFundMe
A Michigan woman suspected in a hit-and-run crash that killed a college student on New Year’s Day is now accused of fleeing the country to avoid prosecution.
Tubtim “Sue” Howson, 57, allegedly failed to stop at the scene of the crash that claimed the life of 22-year-old Benjamin Kable on Jan. 1, according to a press release from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. She was charged in Oakland County District Court on Feb. 2.
Howson is accused of traveling to Thailand less than five days after the fatal crash with “intent to avoid prosecution,” according to an FBI complaint filed Feb. 6 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Witnesses said the person behind the wheel continued driving and stayed in the area for a short period of time before fleeing, according to the complaint.
Kable was pronounced dead at the scene. On aGoFundMe pageset up to help his family with sudden expenses, he was described as a “gentle soul.”
“[He] was always there if you needed a shoulder to cry on or someone to talk to,” reads the fundraiser’s description.
After being kicked out of an Uber for unknown reasons, Kable decided to walk the rest of the way home from a New Year’s Eve party, his father, Michael Kable, toldThe Detroit News.The area is not pedestrian-friendly, as there is no sidewalk or street lights, he claimed, per the outlet.
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On Jan. 5, investigators received information about the location of a 2016 white BMW 320i, which turned out to be the offending vehicle, the court filing states. The car was registered in Howson’s name.
As of Feb. 9, Howson had not been taken into custody, and the FBI’s Detroit Field Office is still looking for her. It is unclear if she has retained an attorney to speak on her behalf.
“I call on the Thai government to extradite her so we can hold her accountable for her actions involving this young man’s tragic death,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a press release.
Michael Kable said he’s still in shock over his son’s death.
“It’s very hard to literally accept the fact [that] somebody who’s been around all the time is actually gone,” he toldCBS News.“I think in your brain, you don’t believe it.”
source: people.com
