A 21-year-old Westland man has been sentenced to 2-5 years in prison for leaving the scene of an accident that took the life of a Northville college student.
Gustavo Godinez was driving on Sheldon Road between Five and Six Mile Road at about 11:30 p.m. Sept. 3, 2020 when he struck Dominic Duhn, 20, who was skateboarding in the road. Duhn, a student at Michigan State University and a former Eagle Scout was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics called by his companion after the impact. The pair had reportedly activated their cell phone strobe lights to warn oncoming motorists they were skateboarding down the 100-foot incline in the area.
The driver did not stop following the incident.
Investigators sought the driver in the incident during a month-long investigation, matching paint chips at the scene to the vehicle Godinez was driving. Following his arrest, Godinez told police he thought he struck a deer or a person while on his way home from his restaurant job in Northville.
Godinez entered a no contest plea to the charge of failing to stop at the scene on a serious personal injury accident.
The prison time was part of a sentencing agreement imposed by Third Circuit Judge Catherine Heise during court proceedings and sentencing Nov. 16.
