Watch CBS News

Man Sentenced To Prison In Road Rage Beating Death

GRAND RAPIDS (WWJ/AP) - A 19-year-old man convicted of second-degree murder in a road rage incident in western Michigan has been sentenced to prison.

Kent County Circuit Court Judge George Quist on Monday ordered Christian Hillman of Ada Township to spend 22 to 100 years in prison. Quist called the assault on 64-year-old William "Andy" McFarlan of Caledonia a "heinous and vicious attack."

McFarlan died after being in hospice care for weeks with a severe brain injury after the Sept. 29 attack near Grand Rapids. Authorities say Hillman, who had been riding a dirt bike, kicked McFarlan while the victim lay on the ground outside his pickup truck.

Witnesses told police they heard Hillman call the victim "weak and soft." They also heard the suspect say, "'Get up, I dare you to get up, and that's what you get,'" police wrote in an affidavit.

Hillman's lawyer has referred to the incident as a fight, saying at some point Hillman lost control.

© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.