Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com

A Brighton man has been arraigned in the hit-and-run death of a Howell area man who was struck and killed while riding his bicycle. 63-year-old Robert Kowalske appeared on Wednesday in Livingston County District Court in connection with a traffic mishap that occurred in the pre-dawn hours of December 23, 2024.

Police say the victim, 22-year-old Alexander Tubbs, was riding his bike on Old US-23 near Bergin Road in Hartland Township after finishing his night shift job when he was struck and killed by a Ford F-150 pickup truck. The driver left the scene, and the incident was later reported by a passerby who discovered the victim.

Michigan State Police of the Brighton post located the driver within two hours of the incident and questioned him. He was subsequently arrested following an investigation by state police detectives and charged with failure to stop at the scene of an accident when at fault resulting in death and operating while intoxicated causing death.

His bond was set at $250,000 and a probable cause conference was scheduled for April 1st. Kowalske is currently lodged in the Livingston County Jail after failing to post bond. A "Go Fund Me" was set up for Tubbs, who went by the name “Sasha”. So far, the fund has realized $12,810, far surpassing the $7,000 goal.