KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A man who hit a pedestrian while driving under the influence last year has plead guilty to charges.
31-year-old Jerrame Avery was charged after he struck a pedestrian while traveling through downtown Kalamazoo during the early morning hours of Sunday, October 27th.
On Tuesday, March 3rd he plead guilty in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court to charges of operating under the influence and causing serious injury.
Police say that Avery was driving his vehicle while having a blood alcohol content of 0.11 and ran into 32-year-old Joseph Periard near the intersection of Academy and South Rose Streets. A police report has indicated that the driver was on the phone at the time of the crash and had an open container of alcohol inside.
The victim was transported to Bronson Methodist Hospital to be treated for serious head injuries sustained in the crash. Within days Periard’s injuries slowly became better with his condition being upgraded from critical to fair.
Avery’s sentencing date is scheduled for April 27th. He potentially faces up to five years in prison and paying $5,000 in applied fines.
The crash occurred at one of nearly 100 city intersections that now have the “Local Law Stop Here for Pedestrians” signs installed.
A city ordinance passed in June 2019 requires motorists to stop for pedestrians at crosswalks without a traffic signal.
