Woman who fled to Thailand after hit and run that killed MSU student, sentenced to prison

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) – Tubtim Howson was sentenced from one to five years in the Michigan Department of Corrections. Before that – Wednesday in court – he had some words for the victim’s family, through an interpreter.

“I want to apologize to the family of the victim and the victim himself, what happened,” said the 57-year-old Howson.

Tubtim “Sue” Howson was held on a $1 million bond after fleeing to her homeland of Thailand. This coming after she hit and killed 22-year-old Ben Cable back on New Year’s Day.

“Did you provide any aid or comfort as Ben laid dying in the road?” said Michael Cable, Ben’s father. “Instead you selfishly fled the scene and left him in the road to be run over. Shame on you, you showed no decency, empathy, or compassion for others.”

Ben’s family has said all along it has made things so much worse because for months, they didn’t know who killed their son.

Ben Cable was an MSU student that was home for the holidays, when he was hit walking home on Rochester Road in Oakland Township.

Investigators say Howson left the scene – and then the country, telling a friend not to call police before she left.

US Marshals tracked her down – and brought her back to the US in February with the help of Thailand’s government.

“I cannot even think about the future because I struggle to want to live in a world that my son is no longer in,” said Stacy Cable, Ben’s mother. “Losing Ben has broken me and my family.”

Howson pleaded no contest to one count of failing to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death – that’s not an admission of guilt but is used for sentencing purposes.

Only two of Ben’s family members were allowed to speak in court, before sentencing, although two more wanted their words heard.

Part of that sentencing of one to five years she will get credit for, after about 5 months served already.