Woman charged with murder for Gratiot drunk driving crash that killed man

Image 1 of 4


An accused drunk driver races through several red lights, slamming into another car and killing a Macomb County man.

The woman police say was behind the wheel, Jenell Capreice Bailey, is facing multiple charges which could send her to prison for life. In the meantime, friends and family of 65-year-old Pavlos Frank Dion, are heartbroken.

Best friend and neighbor Joyce Ross said Dion enjoyed going to a coffee shop in his home town of Eastpointe every night. But Wednesday at 11:00 p.m. when Dion was heading home sitting at a red light, he was blindsided.

A green Dodge Caravan smashed into Dion's Chrysler Sebring.

Witness Lauren Travis described the sound of the crash, saying she and others came running out to help.

Travis said she immediately ran over to Dion.

"He had a cut right here and blood going down (his head)," she said. "I checked his pulse, it was there, but it was slow."

As the police and EMS made their way to the crash, witnesses say the driver of the van was obviously drunk.

"She was walking around, you could smell stale beer 20 feet away," Travis said. "She was swearing at the cops and didn't seem remorseful about what happened to the other person. She was just concerned about herself."

Bailey, 47, failed sobriety tests and was arrested. Dion was a husband, father, grandfather and best friend.

"People expected him to come home and he never made it," Travis said. "It's sad."

Bailey is charged with three counts including second degree murder and driving while intoxicated causing death.

Ross now looks  to the home across the street, sitting empty. a painful reminder her best friend is gone.

Bailey has been given a $750,000 bond and faces up to life in prison for that second degree murder charge.