Newly released dash cam video shows a drunk driver talking with police officers just minutes before he got back into his car, drove off and then collided head-on with a woman, killing them both.
The incident happened December 30, 2017.
Testing would later determined that Desten Houge's blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit.
The video show the aftermath of a single car accident, where Houge lost control and then ended up in the ditch. That accident happened around 4:00 p.m.
Pittsfield Township Sgt. Matthew Hornbeck can be seen talking with Houge and then helping him up after he fell down.
Hornbeck would call a tow truck to get the 32-year-old Houge's car out of the ditch. The driver discovered the rear sway bar was busted, but the car was still drivable.
Hornbeck and another police officer would clear the scene, but they did not give Houge a field sobriety test.
Roughly an hour later and another 1,000 feet down Michigan Avenue, witnesses reported seeing Houge's car fishtailing, then crossing the center line, slamming into another vehicle driven by 55-year-old Lake Jacobson, who died four days later of injuries suffered in the crash.
In police reports obtained by 7 Action News, witnesses describe being surprised by the speed Houge was driving, considering he was losing control.
Another witness, who swerved to miss Houge, said they saw car part flying before the collision.
The reports cite car condition and a possible collision with a pothole as a factor in the crash. However, those reports were from before Houge's autopsy came back, establishing he had a BAC of .24, as well as THC in his system.
Both Hornbeck and the other officer who helped Houge before the fatal accident said they did not notice any signs of impairment.
7 Action News was unable to reach Pittsfield Township Police for comment. We were also unable to reach the families of Houge and Jacobson.
