By waiving her preliminary exam yesterday, March 28, 20-year-old Imlay City woman Maygan Pitonyak chose to be bound over to St. Clair County’s circuit court as her second degree murder case continues.
Pitonyak, arrested and charged February 8 in connection with a December 2022 crash on Capac Road that ultimately resulted in one man’s death, is also charged with operating while intoxicated causing death, driving while license suspended causing death and three misdemeanors.
District Court Judge John Monaghan denied a motion by defense attorney Joseph Kosmala to amend Pitonyak’s bond, falling in line with his previous decision to deny her bond at her February arraignment.
The sheriff’s office reports that on December 17, 2022, after a night of drinking with the help of fake IDs, six underage individuals left a local bar in two pickup trucks, with an 18 and 19-year-old driving despite being intoxicated. While attempting to pass each other on Capac Road, the trucks collided, sending both vehicles rolling multiple times as they left the road.
Of the six, three individuals were ejected, with five being taken to McLaren Lapeer Hospital. While one man was found pinned under the truck, he only sustained minor injuries, whereas another passenger was transported to Beaumont Royal Oak Hospital after he was found unconscious at the scene. He remained in the hospital on a ventilator before succumbing to his extensive injuries.
The 19-year-old, later identified as Pitonyak, allegedly panicked after the accident because she did not have a valid driver’s license at the time, and already had several DUIs on her record.
Pitonyak remains at the St. Clair County Jail, with authorities saying the other driver has been charged with an OWI.
