Driver in fatal M-50 crash charged with felony
ADRIAN — A driver from Dundee has been charged with causing a crash that claimed the life of an Onsted woman in January.
Madison Steinwedel, 23, is charged with reckless driving causing the death of Eileen Christoffers, 55, in the crash on the morning of Jan. 29 on M-50 near Rixom Highway between Britton and Dundee, the Lenawee County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
Steinwedel was arraigned Wednesday in Lenawee County District Court. A personal recognizance or $5,000 bond was set. A probable cause conference is set for 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, in district court, and a preliminary examination is set for April 10.
The charge, which is a felony, has a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of $2,500 to $10,000.
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The crash happened at about 7:20 a.m. Jan. 29, the sheriff's office previously reported. Steinwedel was driving a Ford F-350 pickup westbound. The pickup crossed the centerline of M-50 and collided head on with the Chevrolet Malibu Christoffers was driving. Christoffers was pronounced dead at the scene. Steinwedel was treated at an area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Both drivers were wearing safety belts at the time of the crash.
According to the affidavit of probable cause in the court file, information downloaded from Steinwedel's cellphone showed both Facebook Reels and TikTok were active on her cellphone at the time of the crash. Steinwedel told an investigator from the sheriff's office that Reels was active but she had the phone in the pickup's center console and not in her hand.
The data recorders from the two vehicles showed the pickup was traveling 57 mph and the car was going 54 mph a half-second before the crash, the affidavit said.
Christoffers was on her way to work when the crash happened, according to her obituary. She taught for more than 30 years in Sylvania and Rossford, Ohio. She is survived by her husband, Jeff; sons Scott and Matt and their spouses; her mother, Kathleen; siblings; and other relatives.
— Contact reporter David Panian at dpanian@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @lenaweepanian.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Driver in fatal M-50 crash charged with felony
