People v. Schaefer

We granted leave to appeal in these cases and ordered that they be argued and submitted together to clarify the elements of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of liquor and causing death (“OUIL causing death”), MCL 257.625(4). In addressing this issue, we revisit our decision in People v *422Lardie,1 which held, inter alia, that to convict a defendant of OUIL causing death, the prosecution must prove “that the defendant’s intoxicated driving was a substantial cause of the victim’s death.”2

We conclude that the Lardie Court erred in holding that the defendant’s “intoxicated…