Man accused of fatally striking motorcyclist on Graham road pleads guilty, is sentenced
A man pleaded guilty to fatally striking a motorcyclist turning into a Graham driveway and was sentenced on Thursday.
Brannon Francis Lyon, 19, was sentenced to 90 days in Pierce County Jail and six months community supervision after pleading guilty to one count of vehicular homicide in Pierce County Superior Court. Charging documents alleged Lyon was the driver who struck a motorcyclist on Nov. 15, 2021. The incident occurred on 260th Street East and resulted in the death of 37-year-old Michael Crane, according to court records.
Records show that the standard sentencing range for vehicular homicide is 15 to 20 months with the maximum being life in prison. Since Lyon is a first time offender, he received 90 days.
According to court records, Lyon was 17 when the collision occurred but was charged as an adult. On Wednesday, his attorney filed an argument outlining reasons why Lyon should be sentenced as a first-time offender. One of the reasons was that he lost the ability to have his case reviewed and sealed as a juvenile when the incident occurred.
According to a previous News Tribune article, an investigation showed that Crane was riding west on 260th Street East and was possibly slowing down in the 4900 block when he was hit from behind by an older Datsun. The collision occurred near Cougar Mountain Middle School, and surveillance footage captured the incident.
The impact caused Crane’s motorcycle to fall to its side and slide more than 100 feet until it stopped on the shoulder. A Pierce County sheriff’s deputy estimated Lyon was going 60-70 mph when the collision occurred, records state. The speed limit in that area is 35 mph outside of school hours, the article reported.
Court records show that a witness who went to speak to Lyon said the driver could not remember anything. Lyon started to remember as he was asked basic health questions, and he told the witness he hit “the bike” and then his vehicle flipped, the article said.
Investigators believe that after Lyon struck the motorcycle, his car veered left and hit a large landscape boulder that caused the car to tumble for about 50 feet, according to the probable cause document.
Crane died two days after the wreck. According to a GoFundMe that raised $5,650, Crane loved cars, trucks and motorcycles, and he was always on the road. According to the page, he was a father to 10 children.
This story was originally published September 19, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
