Woman accused of killing Monroe Co. animal control officer in crash pleads no contest, found guilty of murder

MONROE, Mich. (WTVG) - The woman accused of killing a Monroe County animal control officer during a crash in June 2020 has been convicted, the Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced Friday.

Michele Dropulich, 47, pleaded no contest to the most serious of the three charges of second-degree murder in an agreement that puts a cap of 17 years on the minimum sentence. She is scheduled to be sentenced on August 26.

On June 4, 2020, reports say Dropulich had been in several high-speed, property damage crashes in Wayne and Monroe counties by 8 a.m., fleeing the scene of each of those incidents. Monroe County Central Dispatch was advised she was seen traveling west on Front Street in Monroe at 8:04 a.m.

Four minutes after that, she passed traffic stopped for a red light at M-50 and Herr Road, proceeding into the intersection. She continued at a high rate of speed for 1 1/2 miles on M-50 to the intersection of Raisinville Rd.

Animal control officer Darrian Young was going through the intersection of Raisinville Rd. and M-50 when Dropulich ran the red light at 80 mph.  Dropulich struck the Animal Control vehicle, causing “tremendous damage” to both vehicles.

The first authorities on the scene helped stabilize Young and heard Dropulich say she wasn’t driving, even though she was the only occupant of the car and she was pinned in the driver’s seat. Dropulich smelled of alcohol and later admitted she had consumed alcohol; she had a blood alcohol content of .137, nearly double the legal limit.

Young was taken to ProMedica Toledo Hospital, where she later died from her injuries.

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