Hesperia man charged with OWI causing serious injury after hitting motorcycle with truck 

Gale

Hesperia man charged with OWI causing serious injury after hitting motorcycle with truck 

By Allison Scarbrough, Editor

HART — A 31-year-old Hesperia man has been charged with a felony of operating while intoxicated causing serious impairment in Oceana County’s 79th District Court following a motorcycle vs. truck crash ‎last month near the intersection of State Street and West South Avenue in Hesperia.

Nicholas James Gale, of 121 S. Winter St., is accused of driving under the influence of drugs during the collision.

The motorcyclist, who is a 35-year-old Holton man, “sustained severe injuries from the crash” and was transported to Trinity Health Hospital in Muskegon by Life EMS, states the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office accident report.

Gale, who was driving a 2001 Ford 150 pickup truck, was northbound on State Street “when he failed to yield the right-of-way,” striking a westbound 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle. He was “found to have a suspended driver’s license and was suspected of operating while under the influence.”

The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet, according to the report. Gale was not injured.

Gale pleaded guilty May 22, 2017 to breaking and entering with intent and was sentenced July 17, 2017 to two and a half to 10 years in prison. While on parole for that conviction, he was sentenced to one year in jail for a conviction of methamphetamine possession, Jan. 24, 2022.

He faces a maximum of five years in prison if convicted of operating while intoxicated causing serious impairment. He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary exam Aug. 8 at 1 p.m. His bail was set at $7,500/cash/surety/10 percent.

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