Rural Michigan cop lied to investigators after teen son's traffic crash
Amanda Szymanski, 45, of Dryden Township
DRYDEN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - A police officer from a rural township north of metro Detroit allegedly lied to investigators after her son was in a crash last year.
Amanda Szymanski, who works as a law enforcement officer out of the village of Almont, told police she had been in the vehicle with her 15-year-old son when he was involved in an accident with an Amazon driver.
The juvenile fled the scene of the crash prior to her showing up at the scene in Dryden Township, a news release from the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office said.
The office has since charged both Szymanski and the juvenile, who is now 16 years old.
The traffic crash happened on July 2, 2023 when an Amazon driver failed to yield to a GMC Acadia, driven by the teen.
The Amazon driver suffered life-threatening injuries as a result of the crash. A neighbor who heard the collision provided the Amazon driver aid, while the juvenile fled.
According to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office, a little time later, the mother of the juvenile arrived at the scene. Szymanski allegedly lied and told investigators she was in the car with her son at the time of the crash.
In 2017, Szymanski was awarded the 2017 Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) officer of the year honor while she was employed with Ferndale police.
Szymanski, 45, was charged with lying to a police officer while her son was charged with failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in serious impairment or death.
The crash happened in Lapeer County, but the case was moved to Macomb County to avoid a conflict of interest.
"Police officers are held to a higher standard and allegedly lying to protect a loved one in a serious car crash only complicates the criminal justice process and leads to more harm. Our community relies on honesty and cooperation to ensure that justice is served fairly and swiftly," said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido.
Szymanski was given a $5,000 personal bond.