A man accused of causing a Shelby Township crash that killed two women is taking the case to trial based on the claim he did not cause the fatal wreck.

A Dec. 10 jury trial has been scheduled for Jose Medina-Hernandez, 34, of Westland, who is charged with two misdemeanors for the deaths last June of Nancy Richmond, 88, of Washington Township and her daughter Crystal Brunn, 63, of Auburn Hills.

Medina-Hernandez, who is being held in lieu of a $250,000 bond, appeared remotely by video from the Macomb County Jail for a hearing Tuesday in front of Judge Douglas Shepherd in 41A District Court.Medina-Hernandez, who was driving a box truck on southbound M-53 (Van Dyke Highway), crashed into the rear of a Buick Verano at about 12:30 p.m. June 6, triggering a chain reaction involving two other vehicles, according to authorities. The victims occupied the Verano.

Medina-Hernandez is charged with two counts of moving violation causing death, punishable by up to a year in jail.

Attorney Bill Colovos, who is representing Medina-Hernandez, said after the hearing there he will call an eyewitness to the stand who has said she saw another unidentified black vehicle “cut off” the box truck by entering into its lane, forcing it into a guard rail or median wall then striking the Verano.

“It was a sudden emergency; he’s not responsible, he’s not negligent,” Colovos said of his client.

The vehicle that the witness says cut off Medina-Hernandez has not been identified, according to Southgate-based Colovos.

On allegations Median-Hernandez was engaging in distracted driving because his phone was activated for over an hour before the crash, Colovos said the phone was mounted in a cradle next to him with GPS activated.

Medina-Hernandez Medina-Hernandez had a chauffeur’s license and was delivering merchandise for Lowe’s, which was renting the truck from another company. He has no prior record and was not under the influence of any substances, Colovos added.

Shelby Township police initially reported Medina-Hernandez “had no legal status,” but it was later learned he is an asylum seeker with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Systemic Alien Verification Entitlement program. Colovos said his application has been pending for 10 years.

Medina-Hernandez is married and pays income taxes, according to Colovos. He said he did not know the status of his spouse.

The estates of the two victims in late June filed a negligence lawsuit against Medina-Hernandez, Cousins Trucking LLC and JB Hunt Transport Inc. in Macomb County Circuit Court in Mount Clemens, according to court records. The case was assigned to Judge Joseph Toia.

The plaintiffs have filed a motion to show-cause Lowe’s Companies Inc., which is not a party to the case, for records.

A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 2.

Richmond, a mother of three and grandmother of seven, had worked for A&P Grocery Store and a dental office for many years.

Brunn, a mother of two and grandmother of five, had worked in the food and beverage industry for many years.