GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A woman charged with a felony in connection to a fatal car crash that killed Michigan State Police Trooper Joel Popp has been acquitted of the more serious charge but convicted of a misdemeanor.
Trooper Popp died on Jan. 24, 2024, after being struck during a traffic stop on I-75 near Birch Run. At the time of the incident, Popp had just laid down road flares outside his patrol vehicle when he was hit by a vehicle driven by 81-year-old Duncan Erving.
Brooke Allen, whose vehicle was involved in the traffic stop prior to the crash, was found to be intoxicated on methamphetamines. She was initially charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing death, a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. However, the court ultimately convicted her of the lesser misdemeanor offense of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.
Defense attorney Michael Manley argued that Trooper Popp had improperly placed the road flares, which allegedly directed traffic toward the stopped vehicles instead of away from them, contributing to the dangerous conditions that led to the crash. Testimony from a fellow trooper present at the scene and a retired Michigan State Police sergeant supported the defense’s claim.
Manley criticized the training troopers receive regarding traffic control during roadside stops. “It is incomprehensible that these troopers are out there risking their lives and have not been trained in tapering of traffic to avoid the catastrophic issue that happened to Trooper Popp,” he said.
The case has raised questions about police safety protocols and the handling of traffic incidents on busy highways.
