Got in a car accident and am looking for advice [Michigan]

I’m 19 and got into my first accident a couple days ago. I was given a citation for failure to stop within an assured clear distance, and I’m trying to understand what my options are. There were 4 cars in a straight line and we were in bumper-to-bumper traffic. The speed limit was 45, but we were probably going 20 mph or less. I was the last car and was braking, but I wasn’t able to completely stop in time and hit the car in front of me. I wasn’t on my phone, distracted, or under the influence. What confuses me is the damage. The third car had by far the most damage. Its front grille/bumper was pushed in and heavily crumpled, but the back of the car, where I hit it, looked like it had little to no damage. The first two cars also had little to no damage. My Cadillac SRX barely had any damage either. The front bumper isn’t caved in and only has some light scratches, and my car still drives normally. Because of this, I’m wondering if the third car may have hit the second car first, and then I hit the third car afterward at a much lower speed. I obviously don’t know for sure because everything happened really fast. I didn’t take pictures of the other cars, unfortunately. My boyfriend came to the scene shortly afterward and saw the condition of the vehicles. He wasn’t involved in the accident and didn’t see it happen, but he personally saw the damage afterward. Would his testimony about what he actually saw at the scene be relevant? The officer talked to everyone separately and gave me the citation. He was actually really nice and told me that he recommended that I fight the citation instead of paying it. He also said that since I’m young and this is my first offense, he would recommend that the judge be lenient. My questions are: Under Michigan law, what does the assured clear distance citation require? Can the damage to the vehicles be relevant when contesting the citation? Can my boyfriend testify about the condition of the vehicles after the accident even though he didn't witness the accident? Is there anything specific I should bring to court if I contest the citation? I’m not trying to deny that I hit the car. I’m just trying to understand whether the circumstances and damage could be relevant to the citation and what evidence I can actually use. Location: Michigan

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