Northville Police Investigating Cause of Accident that Led to Radio DJ's Death

While Police continue to investigate the that led to the Monday morning death of 106.7 FM radio DJ Jevon Hotchkiss, they say the crash could be attributed to multiple factors.

Those factors include the darkness of the stretch of Seven Mile Road that Hotchkiss was walking on, him talking on a cell phone as he sought a ride home as well as the possibility that he was intoxicated.

As of this afternoon, Public Safety Director John Werth said the department is still investigating. Part of the investigation will include the results of Hotchkiss’s blood alcohol concentration levels. Police expect to obtain those results from Botsford Hospital, where Hotchkiss was taken after the accident, by subpoena or search warrant.

"By all indications of witnesses, he drank quite a bit of alcohol," Werth said of the 34-year-old Livonia man.

The accident occurred on July 28 around 5:30 a.m. on Seven Mile and Fry roads, near the intersection of Haggerty road. According to police, Hotchkiss walked into the path of a 61-year-old Livonia man’s car. Werth has said that the dark roads and rainy conditions may have been factors in the crash. Hotchkiss was seriously injured and transported to Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hills.

According to Werth: Earlier, on the evening of July 27, Hotchkiss was working at the Post Bar in Novi before being dropped off at his girlfriend’s Northville Township home. Witnesses from the bar said that he "consumed large amounts of alcohol," Werth said. After some kind of argument, he began walking, apparently to his home, down Seven Mile Road. He was calling friends by cell phone to come pick him up along the way.

Werth explained that there are three scenarios that could emerge from the accident after an investigation is complete. One is that the bar could face some sort of penalty for over-serving alcohol to Hotchkiss. Another is that the driver could be charged. Police have said that alcohol was not a factor for the driver in the accident.

A less likely, though possible scenario, could be that Hotchkiss is cited in the accident. Because the investigation is still ongoing and has not yet been moved forward to the prosecutor, it is not clear whether any of these scenarios will pan out.

Under the name of Jevon Hollywood, Hotchkiss was a host at 106.7 FM. Fans have begun posting  well-wishes on the web page and a tribute is scheduled on the station for 5 p.m.

Come back to Northville Patch for updates on this case.