BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – Charges have been dropped against a Battle Creek police officer who was involved in a high-speed crash while off duty.
On July 31, 2012, officer William Gensch, 37, was allegedly driving about 100 miles per hour, when he lost control of the car, striking tow mailboxes and two signs on West Michigan Avenue near Custer Drive in Bedford Township.
Battle Creek police reported that Gensch had a blood-alcohol level of .235 percent. The legal limit for drivers in Michigan is .08 percent.
After the incident, Gensch was issued a 20-day unpaid suspension.
Calhoun County Prosecutor, David Gilbert said on Wednesday that he had dismissed the felony charge against Gensch of resisting and obstructing police. He also dismissed a misdemeanor charge of failure to report an accident.
Gilbert is re-issuing a single charge of driving while intoxicated.
If convicted of drunk driving, Gensch faces a maximum of 93 days in jail.
Gensch is a 15-year veteran of the police department. If he is convicted of a felony, he would not be able to continue his work as a police officer.
The night of the incident, Gensch was driving his girlfriends car, Jennifer Appl, 27, who is also a police officer with the department. She was the passenger in the car that night and also off duty.
No one was injured in the crash.
The preliminary hearing for Gensch based on the original charges was scheduled for Friday, Jan. 11. However, because the original complaint was thrown out and a new one was issued, the hearing will likely be delayed.
