Jeffrey Lee Huizinga, 37, of Dorr, pleaded no contest Monday in Kent County Circuit Court to charges stemming from a traffic crash on U.S-131 in February when a Wyoming police officer and motorist he was helping were injured.
Huizinga had been charged with two misdemeanor counts of moving violation causing serious impairment of a body function. Prosecutors dropped a felony charge of failing to use due care when passing a stationary emergency vehicle in exchange for his plea.
Circuit Court Judge Mark Trusock ordered Huizinga to pay $775 in fines and court costs. No jail time was assessed, but Huizinga will lose his driver’s license for one year.
The accident occurred shortly after 1 a.m. Feb. 1 on U.S.-131 near 44th Street., where Wyoming officer Ryan Silvis was providing a motorist assist to a Grand Rapids woman, who lost control of her pickup and struck a concrete barrier.
Records show Silvis parked the patrol car near the disabled vehicle, which was blocking the left passing lane and part of the center lane. He activated lights to direct northbound traffic to an open lane of the freeway. He was struck by Huizinga’s vehicle as he walked toward the disabled motorist, and the impact sent him flying more than 30 feet. The woman was pinned against the concrete barrier.
Both were treated at a hospital and released.