Accused Hit And Run Driver To Stand Trial In Officer's Death
Nino DelPiano of Dearborn will stand trial for allegedly striking and killing Taylor auxiliary policeman Lt. Dan Kromer in a hit-and-run crash September 8. His preliminary exam was held Wednesday at 23rd District Court in Taylor.
He faces five felony charges, including second degree murder, manslaughter involving a motor vehicle, license suspended causing death, failing to stop at the scene of an accident and failing to use care when passing a stopped emergency vehicle.
The prosecution offered six witnesses whose testimony was sufficient to bound DelPiano over to Wayne County Circuit Court for his first appearance Sept.29.
In testimony, Lt. Kromer's partner,auxiliary officer Tim Justus, took the court step-by-step through the traffic stop on I-94 where both officers assisted an out-of-town couple who needed directions. "I remember seeing...the rear-view mirror on the driver's side door...disintegrate," when Kromer was struck by the passing vehicle. That car continued down I-94 and exited at Telegraph.
Karen Schmidt took the stand, she was also on I-94 when the crash took place...she spotted a fast moving car go by her in the far right lane just before seeing the car strike Lt. Kromer. Another witness, Steven Digna Junior estimated the car that sped by on I-94 was doing 80 at the time of the crash..."Just prior to the impact, I did not see the brake lights come on at all," he testified.
Tiffany Marchuk and her children were almost hit by the car later that night, and she took down the plate number. When a co-worker told me about a crash that killed a Taylor policeman....my stomach dropped, and I put two and two together," she told the court.
Police detectives recounted how they took the information and set up surveillance to locate the vehicle, which belonged to DelPiano and had extensive damage to the passenger side, windshield, side and headlight. Taylor Police Detective Don Farago said DelPiano later confessed after initially denying his involvement.
DelPiano told the detective he believed he had struck a trailer or another vehicle, After hearing news accounts of what happened, he felt it was more than coincidence that he was at the same place at the same time. "He said a person was wearing dark clothing...and believed it could have been the police officer that was helping the car in front of a police vehicle," Farago testified.
According to Farago, DelPiano said he did not stop because of a suspended license and he was returning from a drug buy in southwest Detroit.
DelPiano's defense attorney Brian Gagnuik says his client is apologetic but contends the crash wasn't intentional...."What happened was a terrible act, but he feels it was an accident," he said.
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