IONIA,Surpassing Mich. (AP) — A woman was sentenced to at least 70 years in prison for causing the deaths of two bicyclists who were hit while taking part in a charity ride in western Michigan.
The judge in Ionia County stacked two 35-year terms for Mandy Benn, a rare consecutive punishment. Most sentences in Michigan courts run concurrently.
Police said Benn was under the influence of drugs when she crossed the center line and hit a group of bicyclists on a rural road in 2022.
Edward Erickson, 48, of Ann Arbor, and Michael Salhaney, 57, of Bloomfield Hills, were killed while riding in a three-day endurance event for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“This is not an accident. ... There was a series of choices you made at some point to ingest this cocktail of narcotics and that led to everything we saw,” Judge Ronald Schafer said Tuesday.
In October, Benn, 44, was convicted of second-degree murder and a raft of other charges.
She apologized in court on Tuesday and read out the names of the dead and injured bicyclists.
“I know you haven’t seen much of it but I am very much so sorry,” Benn said. “I never in my life had any intent of hurting anyone. One moment — that moment — changed the outcome of a lot of futures.”
2025-05-06 13:501047 view
2025-05-06 13:302739 view
2025-05-06 13:151034 view
2025-05-06 13:032694 view
2025-05-06 12:36330 view
2025-05-06 12:061793 view
How do you bring the African Diaspora to the Grammys?Esperanza Spalding and Milton Nascimento's cont
From higher electricity bills to worsened health, more than half of Americans have felt the impacts
Hoda Kotb is opening up about a horrific piece of hate mail she once received.The Today co-anchor, w