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Cedar Springs man sentenced in crash that killed woman, hurt twins

Posted at 9:04 AM, May 04, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-04 09:04:29-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A man charged after fleeing a high-speed crash that killed a woman and critically injured her 5-year-old twin boys in western Michigan has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

Thirty-six-year-old Douglas Crystal of Cedar Springs learned his punishment Thursday. He earlier pleaded no contest to charges including operating while intoxicated causing death and failure to stop at the scene of an accident when at fault causing death.

Authorities have said 33-year-old Meranda Baguss of Sand Lake was killed Sept. 15 when Crystal’s pickup smashed into her vehicle at a rural intersection in Kent County’s Courtland Township. Her sons survived.

Crystal had been returning home after a golf outing and fled on foot after the crash. Deputies used police dogs and a state helicopter to search for him.