OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (WXYZ) — On Wednesday, Tubtim “Sue” Howson, 57, of Oakland County, was sentenced in connection to the New Year’s Day fatal hit-and-run crash that claimed the life of 22-year-old Ben Kable of Shelby Township.
While on holiday break from Michigan State University, Kable was walking in the early morning hours of January 1 when he was hit by Howson.
After the crash, Howson, a dual U.S. and Thai citizen, fled to Bangkok on January 3. Through cooperation with Thailand's government, she was taken into custody and returned to the U.S. in February and extradited to Michigan.
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On June 15, Howson pleaded no contest to failing to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death.
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While not an admission of guilt, a no-contest plea is used for sentencing purposes.
“I’m so sorry for what happened that day. Sorry to my family,” Howson said during sentencing. “And I also want to apologize to the local community who had to see what happened.”
Four members of the victims family were present at Wednesday’s sentencing in hopes of giving victim impact statements. After a rebuttal by Howson’s attorney, only two of Kable’s family members were permitted to give statements. The remaining two victim impact statements were submitted to the court.
“January 1, 2023 will always be the worst day of my life. For many, the start of the new year welcomes in hopes and dreams of brighter beginnings. That is not the case for my family and me,” said Stacy Kable, Ben’s mother. “The start of the new year for us ushered in the beginning of a never-ending nightmare. It started with a knock at the door which I opened to find two Oakland County Sheriff’s standing there to deliver the devastating news that my son Ben had been killed.
Howson was sentenced to one to five years in the Michigan Department of Corrections. She will receive credit for the 160 days she has already served in the Oakland County Jail.
