Topline: Michigan prosecutors say a Virginia driver was weaving through traffic at more than 90 mph before his pickup slammed into a disabled car on I-75, killing two parents and their two young children.
Published: July 8, 2026 1:30 pm ET
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Charles Dean Pace (via Oakland County Sheriff's Office)
OAKLAND COUNTY, MI — A 27-year-old Virginia man now faces four murder charges after a highway crash in Oakland County killed an entire family whose car was stopped on the roadside.
According to reporting from MLive, ClickOnDetroit and other Detroit-area outlets, prosecutors charged Charles Dean Pace of Glen Allen, Virginia, with four counts of second-degree murder and four counts of operating while intoxicated causing death.
Authorities said the crash happened July 1 on southbound I-75 near East Holly Road in Springfield Township. Prosecutors allege Pace was driving a Ford F-250 pickup truck, speeding above 90 mph and weaving between lanes, when he struck a disabled Chrysler 300 that was stopped on the shoulder.
The people killed were identified as Zakeria Sharon Dodson, 23, Tieree Powell, 24, Nalani Powell, 3, and Karter Powell, 2.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald announced the charges July 6. Local coverage said Pace was expected in court July 7 for arraignment.
The facts released so far have turned the case into one of the starkest recent highway prosecutions in Michigan: two adults and two small children killed in a crash prosecutors say was entirely avoidable. The criminal case now centers on whether the alleged intoxication and speed justify second-degree murder charges rather than a lesser traffic offense.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Murder Charges Filed After Driver Allegedly Weaving at 90+ MPH Kills Family of Four
Michigan prosecutors say a Virginia driver was weaving through traffic at more than 90 mph before his pickup slammed into a disabled car on I-75, killing two parents and their two young children.
By Aaron Stephensen
Published: July 8, 2026 1:30 pm ET
Charles Dean Pace (via Oakland County Sheriff's Office)
OAKLAND COUNTY, MI — A 27-year-old Virginia man now faces four murder charges after a highway crash in Oakland County killed an entire family whose car was stopped on the roadside.
According to reporting from MLive, ClickOnDetroit and other Detroit-area outlets, prosecutors charged Charles Dean Pace of Glen Allen, Virginia, with four counts of second-degree murder and four counts of operating while intoxicated causing death.
Authorities said the crash happened July 1 on southbound I-75 near East Holly Road in Springfield Township. Prosecutors allege Pace was driving a Ford F-250 pickup truck, speeding above 90 mph and weaving between lanes, when he struck a disabled Chrysler 300 that was stopped on the shoulder.
The people killed were identified as Zakeria Sharon Dodson, 23, Tieree Powell, 24, Nalani Powell, 3, and Karter Powell, 2.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald announced the charges July 6. Local coverage said Pace was expected in court July 7 for arraignment.
The facts released so far have turned the case into one of the starkest recent highway prosecutions in Michigan: two adults and two small children killed in a crash prosecutors say was entirely avoidable. The criminal case now centers on whether the alleged intoxication and speed justify second-degree murder charges rather than a lesser traffic offense.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Murder Charges Filed After Driver Allegedly Weaving at 90+ MPH Kills Family of Four
Michigan prosecutors say a Virginia driver was weaving through traffic at more than 90 mph before his pickup slammed into a disabled car on I-75, killing two parents and their two young children.
By Aaron Stephensen
Published: July 8, 2026 1:30 pm ET
Charles Dean Pace (via Oakland County Sheriff's Office)
OAKLAND COUNTY, MI — A 27-year-old Virginia man now faces four murder charges after a highway crash in Oakland County killed an entire family whose car was stopped on the roadside.
According to reporting from MLive, ClickOnDetroit and other Detroit-area outlets, prosecutors charged Charles Dean Pace of Glen Allen, Virginia, with four counts of second-degree murder and four counts of operating while intoxicated causing death.
Authorities said the crash happened July 1 on southbound I-75 near East Holly Road in Springfield Township. Prosecutors allege Pace was driving a Ford F-250 pickup truck, speeding above 90 mph and weaving between lanes, when he struck a disabled Chrysler 300 that was stopped on the shoulder.
The people killed were identified as Zakeria Sharon Dodson, 23, Tieree Powell, 24, Nalani Powell, 3, and Karter Powell, 2.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald announced the charges July 6. Local coverage said Pace was expected in court July 7 for arraignment.
The facts released so far have turned the case into one of the starkest recent highway prosecutions in Michigan: two adults and two small children killed in a crash prosecutors say was entirely avoidable. The criminal case now centers on whether the alleged intoxication and speed justify second-degree murder charges rather than a lesser traffic offense.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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