Woman sentenced to up to 5 years in prison in fatal hit-and-run of Michigan State student

The driver who pleaded no contest in a hit-and-run crash that killed a 22-year-old man in Oakland County on New Year’s Day has been sentenced.

In June, Tubtim “Sue” Howson, of Oakland Township, pleaded no contest to the charge of failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death. Pleading no contest means she accepts conviction but does not admit any guilt.

Howson was charged with hitting and killing Benjamin Kable, who was reportedly walking home from a party on a road in Oakland Township. The crash happened in the early hours of Jan. 1. Kable was walking on southbound Rochester Road near Whims Lane when he was struck and killed by a BMW sedan.

Kable was a 22-year-old Michigan State University senior who was home for the holidays. Witnesses said Howson fled the scene after spending a short period of time there. Kable was pronounced dead at the scene.

Howson’s BMW was seized from an Oakland Township home on Jan. 5. Officials said Howson was a dual citizen of the U.S. and Thailand and had purchased a one-way flight out of Detroit on Jan. 3 and traveled to Thailand.

Howson was picked up by authorities in Thailand and returned to the U.S. in February. She was also charged by federal officials of interstate flight to avoid prosecution, that charge also comes with a sentence of up to five years in prison.

On Wednesday, July 26, Howson was sentenced on the failure to stop charge to one to five years in prison with 132 days already served.

—> Oakland County woman pleads no contest to charges in fatal hit-and-run of Michigan State student