By BOB OLIVER
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — A 41-year-old Dearborn police officer is facing criminal charges of driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident stemming from an incident April 20 while the officer was off duty.
DPD officer Eric Krawczyk was arraigned Thursday in front of 19th District Circuit Court Judge Sam Salamey inside Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital on charges that he was driving under the influence when he struck a tree and other vehicles on Carlysle and Donaldson before fleeing the scene.
The arraignment was scheduled to be heard by Salamey in the 19th District Court but was moved to the hospital for reasons not disclosed by Salamey’s office.
A pretrial examination has been scheduled for May 23 at 1 p.m. in 19th District Court with Salamey presiding.
According to published reports, about 12:30 a.m. April 20, officers responded to calls that a black Ford Taurus had struck a tree near the area of Carlysle and Northhampton Court and had continued driving north on Audette after the collision.
A witness told police that he observed the car striking a tree at the intersection of Carlysle and Culver. The vehicle then pulled back onto the road and drove onto Audette heading north. The witness followed the Taurus and observed it striking another vehicle near Village Road.
After this, the witness said the Taurus turned onto Donaldson, where it struck another vehicle before stopping.
When police arrived the vehicle was not moving, but the driver was still inside. They observed heavy damage to the front passenger side of the Taurus and noted that the car’s air bags were deployed.
Krawczyk handed the officers his police identification and exited his car when asked. Officers observed that he was having difficulty in standing and his eyes were glassy.
Reports also state that Krawczyk was given a preliminary breath test at the scene which he failed. He was placed under arrest and transported to Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center.
Calls to Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad and the Dearborn Police Department’s Investigative Division were not returned by press time.
(Bob Oliver can be reached at [email protected].)