Drunken Driver Sentenced for Labor Day Accident

A 23-year-old Pontiac man was sentenced to 90 days in the Macomb County Jail for driving drunk and causing a serious accident that threw two people from the vehicle he struck.

Clifford Linke stood mute during his sentencing Friday before 40th District Court Judge Joseph Oster for the about 2:30 a.m. on  Labor Day.

"The facts in this situation are horrific," Oster said during sentencing. "You were drunk at a high level, .24, got into an accident and two people were ejected from a vehicle."

Linke had earlier plead guilty to operating while intoxicated and causing the accident and was sentenced to 90 days in the Macomb County Jail, two years probation, 100 hours of community service and $1,400 in fines and costs.

He has a staggered sentence, which means he will serve 45 days in jail and then will have to appear before Oster 21 days later. The judge will then determine if he is following the terms of his probation, and would determine if he would return to jail to serve the remainder of his sentence.

Police said an SUV driven by Linke ran a red light as it traveled westbound on 10 Mile and struck another vehicle that was traveling northbound on Harper.

The force of the impact caused a 7-year-old child and an adult woman to be ejected from the vehicle.

Linke's attorney John Russi unsuccessfully argued to have his client avoid jail time by stating that he had been cooperative with police and that he pleaded guilty at his first court date.

"We are asking the court for the opportunity to show you that he can make good on this," said Russi, who added that his client was attending Alcohol Anonymous.  "He has shown remorse for what had happened."