OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. — A Sterling Heights man has been charged in connection with a fatal alcohol-related traffic crash that claimed the life of a Waterford Township man earlier this year.
Kevin Joseph Koldys, 51, was arraigned Friday in 52-1 District Court on a felony count of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing death. Lewis Langham set bond at $25,000. Koldys remains lodged in the Oakland County Jail.
Prosecutors allege Koldys caused a three-vehicle crash on Sept. 5 at the intersection of Pontiac Trail and Martin Parkway in Commerce Township, fatally injuring 30-year-old Matthew John Szakal of Waterford Township.
According to investigators, Szakal was driving a 2017 Chevrolet Trax when it was struck by a 2021 Lexus RC driven by Koldys. Authorities say Koldys was traveling northbound on M-5 when his vehicle left the roadway, traveled several hundred feet through tall grass and weeds, then re-entered the roadway, jumped a curb at a roundabout, and struck Szakal’s vehicle. The impact pushed Szakal’s vehicle into a third vehicle, a 2021 Honda CR-V driven by a 64-year-old woman from Wixom, who was wearing a seatbelt and sustained minor injuries.
Szakal, who was also wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators believe excessive speed and alcohol use were contributing factors. Koldys suffered serious injuries in the crash.
Koldys is scheduled to return to 52-1 District Court on Dec. 30 for a probable cause conference. The case was investigated by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit.
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