Judgement has been entered for a driver challenging tickets after her involvement in a fatal accident .
Lapeer County resident Bethany Watteny, 43, struck and killed Goodrich High School graduate, Theodore Petrill, 26, last June. Watteny was west bound on Davison Road, east of Lake Nepessing Road, when the GM Envoy she was driving hit Petrill from behind.
According to a Lapeer County Sheriff’s Department report, Petrill was walking along the side of the road with his fiancee, Emily Dunaway, at the time of the accident. He is also survived by his two children, Theodore Joseph Petrill and Payton Hewitt.
Though no tickets were issued at the time of the accident, Watteny was later issued two tickets by Lapeer County Prosecutor Chief Assistant Mike Hodges. One ticket was for careless driving, the other for failure to yield. Both are civil infractions and carry a combined penalty of five points and a $200 fine.
Wattney initially challenged the tickets before accepting a plea resolution April 20. In the plea. Wattney received the ticket for failure to yield to a pedestrian, but not for careless driving charge. The ticket carries a two point penalty.
‘We’re pleased that Mrs. Wattney has finally accepted responsibility for this tragic accident,? said prosecuting attorney Steven Beattie.
Watteny would not respond to requests for comment.
‘Regardless of whether or not she had to pay all the fines, (Petrill) will always be remembered,? said Dunaway. ‘His kids will always know what a great dad he was, even now that they can’t see him, they’ll know he’s watching over them.?
‘We’re just kind of glad that it’s over (legally), said Petrill’s sister, Laura Nick. ‘At the beginning of this she wasn’t getting anything. We got a little justice I guess. We can just try to put it behind us and move on.?
‘I think that with all the media attention? I think that played a role in her accepting (the ticket).
‘At least now we know as a family that we did everything we could for my brother. We know as a family we did everything that we could.?