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April 5, 2005Deputy may face charges in crashByRecord-Eagle staff writer GAYLORD - An Otsego County Sheriff's deputy could find out next week if he'll be criminally charged in the death of a fellow deputy. Deputy Andrew Nobliski, 27, is on paid leave pending a special prosecutor's decision on whether to charge him in the death of John Gunsell, 43. Gunsell was a passenger in a patrol car driven by Nobliski early Sept. 12. Nobliski lost control of the car near the Otsego County Regional Airport and it rolled and threw Gunsell, who was not wearing a seat belt. Meanwhile, Sheriff Jim McBride said Nobliski should resign from the department because his actions were "reckless and negligent." McBride acknowledged that Gunsell likely would have survived had he worn a seat belt. The deputies were responding to an accident that occurred more than two hours earlier. State police reports cite vehicle speed and road conditions as factors in the fatal wreck. Antrim County Prosecutor Charles Koop will decide whether to charge Nobliski. "When I make a decision to charge, it's a heavy decision to make, whether it's a police officer or another member of the community," Koop said. McBride said his department did not conduct an internal investigation because he deferred to the Michigan State Police, who took over the accident investigation when they arrived at the wreck scene. "We went through quite a shock when it happened and then the healing process, which isn't finished yet," McBride said. The sheriff will meet on April 18 for a disciplinary hearing with Nobliski and his attorney, Kevin Hesselink of Gaylord, to discuss any criminal charges and whether Nobliski will resign. Hesselink is the former Otsego County prosecutor, a position he held when the crash occurred. He handed the case off to the state to avoid a conflict of interest, he said, because he often worked with the sheriff's department and because he and Nobliski are members of the same church.
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