East Tawas man sentenced in fatal bicycle crash

A judge has sentenced an East Tawas man for causing a crash that killed a 16-year-old last year, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Thursday.

Last August, Mark Elliott hit Dohnovan Newcome with his truck while the teen rode his bicycle at the intersection of US-23 and Tawas Beach Road. Newcome died at the hospital.

Elliott pleaded guilty last month to a moving violation causing death, a one-year misdemeanor. 

The Department took over the case after a special prosecuting attorney was requested. Local prosecutors recused themselves due to their familiarity with the defendant. 

Thursday morning, Judge Richard Vollbach Jr. sentenced Elliott to one year of probation and 90 days in jail. The first 10 days of the jail sentence will be served upfront and the 35 days following will be on a GPS tether. The remaining 45 days will be forgiven if Elliott follows his probation properly. He also received 20 hours of community service. 

“No sentence will ever erase the pain Dohnovan’s family and friends continue to experience, though it is my hope this outcome brings a sense of closure and justice for his loved ones, ” Nessel said.