Driver Accused In Deadly Oakland Twp. Hit-And-Run Given $1M Bond

ROCHESTER HILLS, MI — An Oakland Township woman was placed in the Oakland County Jail with a $1 million bond after officials said she fled to Thailand after fatally striking a 22-year-old in Oakland Township on New Year's Day, according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.

Tubtim Howson, 57, was charged with failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in serious injury or death, which carries up to five years in prison.

If Howson posts bond, she will have to surrender her passport, driver’s license, wear an electronic tether and would not be permitted to leave her home for any reason other than to appear in court, officials said.

"We are extremely pleased we have our suspect in custody in Oakland County, and we thank
Judge Asadoorian for her attention to the fact that clearly the defendant has been a flight risk to
the extreme," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. "I look forward to her being held accountable."

Officials said Howson fatally struck 22-year-old Benjamin Kable in the southbound lane of Rochester Road near Whims Lane at 5:49 a.m. on New Year's Day. Police do not know if Kable was standing or walking in the roadway.

Howson, who is also a citizen of Thailand, then told a close associate that she was going back to Thailand because she thought she killed somebody, officials said in a court filing.

Federal officials believe Howson landed in Thailand on Jan. 5 after tracking flight connections she made with a one-way-ticket out of Detroit.

After learning of the situation, Thai deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn then said preparations were being made to fly Howson back to the U.S.

Howson said she initially thought she had hit a deer, but when asked later why she fled to Thailand, responded that when she saw Kable’s body, she thought he must be dead.

"I left home for work around 5.30 a.m. to 6 a.m. It is the winter time and it was very dark. There was usually nobody walking on the road there, except deer," Howson said, according to officials. "I did not think I would run away, but I was very shocked. I tried to call the police, but my hands were shaking. I could not do anything."

Kable, originally from Shelby Township and a Rochester High School graduate, was a senior at Michigan State University working on an electrical engineering degree and home for the holidays when the crash happened, according to an obituary.