Trial for the man accused of killing off-duty Flint police officer Vincent D’Anna in an Independence Township drunk-driving crash last summer will begin March 31.
Ramon Felix Pineda, 25, an illegal Mexican immigrant, is charged with second-degree murder in the Aug. 26 death of D’Anna, 26.
During a preliminary exam in October, investigators testified that in the hours following the crash, Pineda told police he had a few beers earlier that afternoon, then met with friends at Independence Oaks park, where he consumed four or five more beers before climbing back into his Camaro and heading south on Sashabaw Road.
Eyewitnesses testified to watching the driver of a white Camaro repeatedly rev his car’s engine as he hit the motorcycle D’Anna was riding on Sashabaw Road just south of Clarkston Road, then hit it again, trapping D’Anna and his bike underneath the car.
Crash scene investigators said D’Anna was dragged along Sashabaw Road for about 60 feet. He died early the following morning.
A blood draw showed Pineda had a blood alcohol level of .16, twice the legal limit of .08.
Chief Judge Wendy Potts will preside over the case in the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court.