Eleven months after a tragic accident claimed the lives of a Lake Leelanau woman and her dog, the driver responsible for the collision has been sentenced to one year in jail and three years of probation.

That driver, Cedar resident Christen Landry, pleaded no-contest in September to a charge of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury.

Just before 7:30pm on the evening of December 8, 2022, Landry hit Lake Leelanau’s Evelyn Kellogg with her car. The collision killed Kellogg, 43, as well as her dog, who she’d been walking on the shoulder of East Lingaur Road.

Landry had been drinking prior to the crash, and a blood test conducted by the Michigan State Police showed that her blood alcohol content (BAC) was 0.104 at the time of the crash, over the legal limit of 0.08.

Originally, Landry was charged with operating under the influence causing death, a felony crime that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Landry pleaded not guilty to that charge in June, but changed her plea to no-contest earlier to this fall when Leelanau Prosecutor Joe Hubbell offered a deal in exchange for the lower charge of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury. The latter charge only carries a five-year maximum prison sentence.

In September, Hubbell justified the deal by citing Landry’s lack of criminal record and her behavior since the crash while she’s been out on bail. He also described the December 2022 crash as “an accident,” and noted that “accidents are different than intentional crimes.

Landry’s sentencing hearing took place this past Monday (November 6), with 13th Circuit Court Judge Charles Hamlyn handing down the one-year jail sentence. Landry will also serve three years of probation and pay $648 in court fees. Additional restitution will be determined at a later hearing.

In addition to the criminal proceedings, Landry is currently the defendant in an ongoing civil lawsuit brought by Kellogg’s family.