Driver in fatal Chassell crash enters plea

Public Radio 90, WNMU | By Nicole Walton

Published June 27, 2023 at 9:14 AM EDT

HOUGHTON, MI— A Houghton County man accused of killing two people in a Chassell car crash last year has entered a plea in the case.

Ryan Orzechowicz, 34, is charged with two counts of operating while intoxicated, causing death and two counts of reckless driving, causing death. Jennifer Rajala, 35, of Covington and Lacey Rajala, 30, of Chassell died in the November 4^th crash.

On Friday, Orzechowicz pleaded no contest to the two charges of operating while intoxicated, causing death. In exchange, the reckless driving charges were dropped.

Sentencing is set for September 7^th in Houghton County Circuit Court.

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Nicole Walton

Nicole was born near Detroit but has lived in the U.P. most of her life. She graduated from Marquette Senior High School and attended Michigan State and Northern Michigan Universities, graduating from NMU in 1993 with a degree in English.

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