A Michigan woman who ran over her 9-year-old son in a school parking lot — leaving the boy with disabling brain injuries — was sentenced on Friday to 30 days in jail, The Grand Rapids Press is reporting.
Tiffany Kosakowski, 36, told a court that she is remorseful, and that she will have to live with her actions for the rest of her life.
On December 11, 2018, as The Ionia Sentinel-Standard reported at the time, Kosakowski dropped off her 9-year-old son — whose name has not been released — at Chandler Woods Charter Academy in Plainfield Township. Kosakowski walked the boy to the door, and then returned to her SUV.
The boy, however, didn’t want to go to school that day, as Kosakowski later admitted, and he followed her back to the vehicle. She backed up out of her parking spot, knowing that the boy was walking towards her and the vehicle.
She then put the vehicle into drive and started to leave the area, but by this time, the boy had attempted to open the passenger door. He held on to the partially-opened door as Kosakowski continued driving for an estimated 150 feet or so. The boy lost his grip and fell to the ground, getting run over by the SUV’s rear tire in the process.
A look at Chandler Woods Charter Academy where someone was hit by a car. Kent Co. Sheriff Dept. & Medical Response Unit on scene.
We’re told to wait for the Sgt. for an update. He’s expected to be here shortly. pic.twitter.com/w5vBTjNJGt
— Katherine Noel (@Katherine_Noel_) December 11, 2018
Surveillance cameras captured the incident, as did several witnesses. Judge Curt Benson said at Kosakowski’s sentencing that the video was “hard to watch.”
The boy suffered multiple injuries — including multiple skull fractures, bleeding on the brain, and several other bone fractures. He was taken to a nearby hospital and, for a few weeks, was in critical condition. He was also placed on life support. He survived, but remains disabled — and in therapy — due to the injuries he suffered. The extent of his disabilities remains unclear.
Speaking to Kosakowski during her sentencing hearing, Benson said that he was convinced that she had shown remorse for her actions. However, he also noted that the severity of the crime could not be ignored.
“It is simply inexcusable. Forty-seven yards.”
He also admitted that it was a “difficult case,” noting that Kosakowski is the primary caregiver for the boy and his twin sister — and that she continues to care for her son, including taking him to treatment. A family court, meanwhile, is currently considering whether or not Kosakowski can continue to have custody of both, or either, of her kids.
Benson sentenced Kosakowski to six months in jail, with all but 30 days suspended. She can serve the 30 days on weekends, if she so chooses.
